Amber Skies
by GearUnlocked
Summary: AU. A world under fire, Ritsu and Houkago Tea Time try to adapt to their new surroundings and lifestyle while trying to find their lost passion in music. Only their friendship can save them and only music can bring them together as a family. Rated T for violence and mild language. Mitsu, YuiAzu, and with a little spice of Mugitsu.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

**- **Welcome everyone to a new series, _Amber Skies_, a Sci-Fi based action story! Here, you'll follow the girls of the Light Music Club as they tackle a transfer to a Military Academy, Naval Warfare, and an Alien Invasion! Please, enjoy your stay and have an awesome day!

**- **This will be produced along with _Touched By An Angel!, _which has been put on hold for the time being due to my computer not being able to log me in, so I can't access chapters 6 & 7 until further notice. Sorry! But here's _Amber Skies _as an apology.

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**Amber Skies**

**Chapter 1 – Prologue, A New World**

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"_We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." – Walt Disney_

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_The year is 2255. All of humanity has united under one banner. Ever since we've advanced in space travel, we've split into two groups, the Unified Earth Government and the Insurrection. A civil war consumed our planet, almost resulting in the Earth being destroyed, until the Insurrection departed a hundred years ago. During that time, we lived on Earth in peace while our military, the Alliance Space Command, tried to wipe out the remnants of the Insurrection. We also discovered that we weren't alone in the universe… they called themselves the Harvesters… a dark alien race that mutated the dead and sought destruction of the Universe's sentient species. We fought until the Harvesters disappeared. Many lives were lost in the fight against them and we thought they would be gone forever… until today._

* * *

Yo! My name is Ritsu Tainaka, a second-year at Sakuragaoka High School. I'm currently in Sakuragaoka's Light Music Club as the drummer! I'm in it with my friends, Mio Akiyama on bass, Yui Hirasawa on guitar, Tsumugi Kotobuki on keyboard, and Azusa Nakano on rhythm guitar. We call ourselves Houkago Tea Time!

"Man… I still can't believe Mio had to go home early," I sighed as I leaned back in the chair.

"Why did Mio-senpai have to go home, Ritsu-senpai?" Azusa asked. I looked over at the cat-like guitarist of our band. Azusa Nakano is a first-year, which we recruited into the band earlier on in the year, with her help, the band's gotten along way better. Well, we always got along, but with her around, it's been more fun.

"Her parents were 'taking precautions', I guess. They probably heard something on the news or something," I said to her. She looked at me with a blank expression before nodding.

"Looks like Mio-chan's going to miss out on the tea!" Yui said with a devilish smile on her face. "What's on the menu today, Mugi-chan?" she asked. Yui Hirasawa, the vocalist of our band… she's kinda air-headed, but she makes up for it with being the friendliest girl you can ever meet, besides me of course.

"Hmm…" I looked over at Mugi, who was digging through the cabinets. "How does green tea sound?" she asked in a gentle voice. Tsumugi Kotobuki, who we call 'Mugi' for short is the girl who every guy wants to have as a wife. She always makes us snacks every day. She's also rich, considering we've been to two of her families mansions. Her snacks are amazing too. Did I mention she's rich?

"Sounds good, Mugi-senpai," Azusa said. I knew Azusa was more excited for green tea deep down inside, considering our little kitten loved green tea. I guess she chose not to show that much enthusiasm 'cause Mio's not here. "I'm going to guess there'll be no practice today, Ritsu-senpai."

"Eh? We can still practice even though Mio's not here!" I said as I rested my feet on the table and folded my arms. "I just choose not to!"

"That doesn't help," Azusa's face puffed up.

"Tea's ready!" Mugi's voice chimed in the room. She brought a plate with a teapot and four cups over to where we sat. One of them had distinguishing marks and was smaller than the others, that was Azusa's. Mugi poured a sharing of green tea into all of our cups.

"Thanks, Mugi-chan!" Yui said. "Now where's the cake?!"

"Yui-senpai! Don't be so rude!" Azusa hissed at Yui. Yui stuck her tongue at Azusa before the smaller girl turned back to Mugi. "Thank you very much for the tea, Mugi-senpai."

"Thank you, Mugi, o great mistress of tea," I bowed my head to the blonde. Mugi bowed back and had on the same warm smile she always had.

"It's my pleasure, everyone," she said as she sat down in her seat, which was across from Yui. She grabbed her cup and began take small sips as another regular day in the Light Music Club went by.

"Oh, Ricchan, so about this Saturday, are we still going to hang out?" Yui asked me as she grabbed her cup.

"I guess. What about you, Azusa? Want to come?" I asked the first-year as I brought my feet down and reached for my cup. Azusa grabbed her cup and raised an eyebrow at me as she took a sip.

"Saturday? Where are you guys going?"

"I was thinking we could go to the music store that Mugi's family owns and see what the new arrivals are! I heard there's going to be a new drum set there!" I said, having a warm feeling of excitement and impatience in me.

"How does that really benefit the rest of us? We're not drummers, Ritsu-senpai…" Azusa said as she took another sip of tea.

I leaned in closer to Azusa's face and whispered in her ear, "There's a new Fender Mustang there. Same color as Mu-Tan too."

Her orange-tinted brown eyes widened at what I said and a smile formed on her lips, "I will go, Ritsu-senpai!"

"Sounds good!" I said as I leaned back in my chair. I took a sip of the warm green tea and heavily sighed of happiness.

There was a knock at the door and we all looked at the two doors that was the entrance to the club room. It opened and a lady who looked familiar, but I don't know where from. She wore grey armor and had her hair in a ponytail. A man in the same armored suit followed behind her. A helmet covered his face and he looked very intimidating.

"Hey girls," she smiled and waved to us. I looked at the others and they seemed scared. Did we know this lady?

"Uh… who are you?" I asked her.

"They… they don't even remember their own teacher…" she sobbed.

"Sawa-chan?!"

"Sawako-sensei?!"

"Sensei?!"

"Yes… yes… it's me," she said. Of course we didn't know that was her. This was the first time we saw her wearing this kind of stuff which was grey armor with her hair tied into a ponytail. Her glasses were missing. I guess she was wearing contacts. Sawako Yamanaka, or as me and Yui like to call her, Sawa-chan, is our club's advisor and apparently… she

"Whoa, Sawa-chan!" I said, "What's with the armor? Is this a new cosplay thing? And who's that guy?"

"Don't worry about it, Ricchan, but I need to talk with you girls," she said with a serious face. She turned to the armored man next to her, "Lucky, if you please."

"Yes, Captain," he quickly saluted Sawa-chan and stepped in front of her.

"Captain?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Captain! That sounds so cool!" Yui said, clapping her hands in excitement.

"Uh… yes…" Sawa-chan nervously chuckled, "I'm a Captain in the Alliance Space Command. Actually, I've been one before I even worked here."

"Jeez! How old are you, Sawa-chan?" I asked, grinning as I folded my arms.

"Ritsu-senpai! How rude!" Azusa yelled at me.

"I'm just kidding!" I said to her, "and a little bit curious… what's up anyway, Sawa-chan?"

Sawa-chan cleared her throat and looked at the armored man known as Lucky, "please, Lucky. Before they interrupt again."

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded to her before walking closer to the table, "you four will all be evacuated along with the rest of the school. There is a problem in Osaka and we're just taking precautions."

"Evacuated? Where will we go?" Mugi asked.

"That depends on your Evacuation Captain. For example, your Evacuation Captain is Sawako Yamanaka, who you all recognize as your club advisor here," Lucky said, looking at Sawa-chan, "when boarded, you will depart to the _ASC Oshiro_."

"But what about our parents?" I asked Sawa-chan.

"Don't worry," Sawa-chan said to us, "we went to them before this. They said they can take care of themselves, but they wanted us to bring you to safety first. My best guess is that they're still at your house waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Azusa asked.

"Waiting for-"

"Captain!" a voice drew our attention. The door opened and two more armored men jogged in. They saluted Sawa-chan and stood in the middle of the room.

"Comet, Fixer, what brings you two here?" Sawa-chan asked them after she saluted the two men.

"Yes, ma'am! The last shuttle is preparing to leave for the _ASC Oshiro_," one of the men took off his helmet and he revealed himself to be a young man with a black buzz-cut style haircut and a 5'o'clock shadow.

"Good work, both of you. Be sure to put your helmet back on later, Fixer," she said to them. So the one with the helmet on is Comet and the one without it is Fixer. The trooper that came with Sawako is Lucky. I think I'm starting to get the hang of the nicknames. She turned back towards us and glared at all of us. "Where's Mio-chan?"

"She had to go home early today, sensei," Azusa told her.

"Why?" Sawa-chan asked.

"Her parents were taking precautions about something, Sawa-chan. Probably about the same thing Lucky told us," I said to her. Her eyes widened and she looked at the three troopers who were with her. She turned her back to us and began having a conversation with them. A minute later, she turned back towards us with a grim look on her face.

"Tainaka-san, we need you to come with us," I looked at Sawa-chan.

"Me? Why me?" I asked her with concern, afraid that I might be in trouble. I looked over to Yui, Azusa, and Mugi for comfort and they too had a look of concern.

"We need you as a guide… to Akiyama-san's home," she said.

"A guide? Can't someone else take you?" I asked.

"I'm afraid you're the only one who can, since you know the neighborhood so well. We don't want to take a long time and risk Akiyama-san's safety," Sawa-chan said with a sad look on her face, "you're the only hope for Mio's rescue to go swiftly."

I looked at the other girls and they had sad looks on their faces as well. Why do I have to be the only hope? I can't be responsible…

"Fine… I'll go, but… what about them?" I tilted my head to Azusa, Mugi, and Yui.

Sawa-chan looked at them, then at Lucky. "Lucky will take them to the last shuttle and they will head to the _ASC Oshiro_. You and Akiyama-san, providing we get to her in time, will follow soon after. Right, Lucky?"

"Yes, Captain," Lucky nodded to Sawa-chan before turning to me and the other girls. "Don't worry, kid. I'll take care of your friends."

"The First and Second Fleet are reporting in, ma'am!" Fixer sounded frantic, "Harvester Pods just broke through their defenses and are heading straight for Earth!" His helmet was back on.

"Where are they landing?" Sawa-chan asked.

_***RUMBLE***_

The ground shook as Sawa-chan asked that. The four of us did what we were taught to do when an earthquake happened, we went underneath the table. The light fixtures on the ceiling fumbled around and so did everything else in the room. Fixer controlled his balance while Comet fell to the floor and landed on his butt. I couldn't help but grin at that.

"Azunyan, I'll protect you!" I heard Yui yell.

"Get off of me, Yui-senpai!" Azusa yelled behind me. I heard Yui whimper before muttering something about Azusa being mean.

The earthquake stopped and we got out from where we took cover. I saw Sawa-chan, Lucky, Comet, and Fixer run towards the window. When they got there, Sawa-chan gasped.

"N-no… this can't be happening," she shook her head. As curious as most teenagers are, the four of us went to the nearest window and saw what Sawa-chan was gasping about.

The sky had turned from a blue, cloudless sky to a magenta-colored cloudy sky. There were some kind of meteors coming down from the clouds, and they were landing into downtown Osaka, from which we could see the huge skyscrapers in the distance. Spaceships flew above the school, they were so close I could hear the engines as they zoomed by.

"I-I thought they weren't real…" Azusa muttered. Her voice sounded so frightened. I turned to her and looked at her as her mouth was open with astonishment, but her face was covered in fear, just like Yui and Mugi.

"What do you mean? Who's not real?" I asked her, clearly fascinated in what my kouhai has to say.

"T-The Harvesters, Ritsu-senpai," she said without even facing me. How rude. Her attention, just like the others, was to the meteors falling outside.

"You mean the meteors?" I asked, pointing to the meteors.

"R-Ritsu-senpai! T-They're Harvesters!" she hissed, finally diverting her attention towards me. Great, now only was her not only frightened, but angry too.

The Harvesters… it suddenly clicked into my mind. I remember now! We were talking about it in History a few weeks ago. Wow, how ironic… my teacher was always a believer of the 'Harvester Doomsday'… and it's happening.

"Status report! Failure to provide civilians safety! They're… they're getting slaughtered down there…" Fixer frantically said.

"Grab your things, girls, we're leaving," Sawa-chan ordered us. I grabbed my schoolbag and my drumsticks while Azusa and Yui grabbed their guitar cases where both Gīta and Mu-tan were held in. Mugi took her schoolbag from the couch.

"One last sip!" Yui yelled as she chugged the rest of her tea.

"This way, let's go! Fixer, up front with me. Comet and Lucky, rear guard! Move it!" Sawa-chan ordered us. Her troopers nodded and took their positions. We followed Sawa-chan and Fixer out the door.

The hallways were empty and quiet. Not even the usual gossip you usually hear echoed in the hallways. Total silence. The four of us, accompanied by Sawa-chan and her troopers, made our way to the main double-doors that led to the school's large courtyard, which was considerably flat besides the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

As soon as we exited the building, the air was filled with distant sounds of gunfire and many voices floated around, conversing with one another. Outside of the school's main building, there were more students of Sakuragaoka, some who I know, being led to spaceships, whom from Comet I found they were called 'Cranes' by ASC troopers. One of them, who I could tell was Nodoka Manabe, a fellow classmate and friend, was rushed into a Crane and it quickly departed into the skies.

"Where are they going?" I pointed to the skies, where more Pods were dropping down from above and more Cranes followed after Nodoka's.

"A refugee ship," Comet answered me, "the _ASC Oshiro_, which is secretly in orbit on the _other_ side of Earth, where the battle in space can't reach it."

"Sounds cool!" Yui said to him. Azusa put her hand on Yui's shoulder and shook her head.

"Now's not the time, senpai. Definitely not the time for that."

"Keep moving, children!" I heard an ASC trooper yell as he led a group of first-years right by us. I saw Azusa exchange nods with one of them before they lined up at the entrance to the Crane.

"Where's Ichigo at?!" a girl screamed. "The last time I saw her, she was leaving!"

"Don't worry, senpai, my brother went out to find her!" I looked over and saw Jun following a crowd of girls.

"This way! Take Class 3-4 to Crane number 765," a trooper was positioned at the center of the courtyard near the fountain. He looked like a super-duper high rank, considering he had a blue-stripe pattern on his armor and helmet. He looked at Sawako and jogged towards us. Sawa-chan looked at Lucky and the two exchanged nods.

"This way, kids," Lucky said as he led Mugi, Azusa, and Yui to a Crane that was parked near the gym. I could see the volleyball club and a sole member of the softball club get into the Crane.

"Hold on, Lucky-kun," Yui said to him. The trooper stopped dead in his tracks and faced back at us. "Ricchan, find Mio-chan… let's be a family again!"

"Best of luck to you, Ricchan," Mugi said to me.

"Ritsu-senpai, please be careful," Azusa said. The three of them approached me and pulled me into a group hug.

"Y-yeah!" I said, feeling a little bit more confident about my mission, "let's be a family again! For Mio!"

"For Mio!" they repeated. All of them let go of me… I wish they didn't… I could use them at a time like this, but the more of us there were, the greater chance of danger.

"Ladies, we must go," Lucky said to them. They nodded to him and followed after the trooper, who led them to the Crane that was near the gymnasium.

"Captain Rex," Sawa-chan, Comet, and Fixer saluted the blue-striped trooper. He saluted them back before taking a quick glance at me. "What's the situation in the suburbs?"

"Well, Sawako," the trooper known as Rex said, "the real battle is downtown, where most of our men are getting slaughtered… civilians too. Our forces were too late to respond, and even when we did, we got ripped apart upon entering battle."

"I see… any more bad news?"

"I'm afraid so, Sawako," he sighed, "The Northern District is where my forces are most concentrated. If those… _things _get past my men to the North, there could be more of _them _entering the suburbs, considering the North is towards downtown."

"How many men at your disposal, Captain?" Sawa-chan asked him.

"Around 150. 2nd Trooper Battalion," he answered her.

"Alright, Captain. What else is there?" Sawa-chan asked. If they were both Captains, how come Sawa-chan has only these three Troopers under her command and Captain Rex has 150? Now this is some stuff I'm into.

"There is some good news though. 100% completion in the evacuation of the East and South districts in the suburbs," he said, "say, where are you headed, Captain?"

Sawa-chan looked at me, then back at Rex. Comet and Fixer exchanged looks.

"We're headed to the Western district," she answered him. Rex flinched at what she said before returning to his posture.

"Captain, with all due respect, the Western district was overrun. Those that were still alive evacuated here," he told her with a little grief in his voice, "even as we speak, I have troopers holding off the Harvesters a few blocks down the West."

"We won't be going through the streets, Captain Rex," Sawa-chan responded, moving aside to reveal me to Rex, "we have a plan."

"Uh… I suppose she's your plan?" he asked, nervously pointing to me. I frowned at him and he quickly assumed his posture again. "No offense, but she's a child."

"Ah, but a clever one, Captain Rex," she told him. He didn't look very convinced, then again he was wearing a helmet, I couldn't even see his face, "tell him, Ricchan."

"I live in the Western district," I said to Rex, "I'm leading these three there so we can find my friend, Mio Akiyama, who we assume didn't evacuate in time. We're going to take the path Mio and I always take to school, the side roads and alleyways."

"Mio… Akiyama?" he asked, sounding very interested in Mio, yet surprised. Sorry, but she's only 16, buddy!

"Yes, Mio Akiyama," Sawa-chan said as she put a hand on his shoulder. More gunfire rose into the distance as the engines of another Crane lit up. I looked up and saw another Crane leave the courtyard, while another one landed in its original position.

"You're free to go, Captain…" Rex said as he led the four of us to the main gate, where a squadron of troopers guarded, "good luck to you."

The gates closed and the four of us exchanged looks before I ran to the left, the way Mio and I always took to school and the way we always went home. I was followed by the others down the road. We're on our way to rescue you, Mio, don't worry.

"Casualties!" Fixer called from behind. I looked down the street and a few bodies were on the sidewalk while one was slumped up against the wall of a building.

We arrived where the bodies were and saw that the body that was against the building was that of an ASC trooper. The others were of regular civilians. My stomach felt uneasy as I kept my eye on one of the bodies. I recognized her… she went to Sakuragaoka High School. Her name was Ichigo Wakaōji… a girl in the Baton Club at school. She was a second-year, just like me. I only knew her as the girl who 'lives in her own world.'

"He's dead, Captain," Fixer said as he kneeled next to the trooper. The injuries to the troopers were severe… so severe that his right arm was missing and his helmet was smashed into his face.

"Yeah, no shit, Fixer," Comet said as he stood a few feet away. He pointed to something on the ground and it was the arm of the trooper.

"Who was he?" Sawa-chan asked. Fixer whispered a few words then plucked something from the dead man's neck. I realized it was dog tags, a way of identification. He read them and tossed them to Sawa-chan.

"Atsushi 'Jun' Suzuki," Sawa-chan read. "Jun-chan's older brother? Dear God…"

"If the civilians here are dead… where are the Harvesters that did this?" Fixer asked as he stood up.

"Don't ask that, please!" Comet scolded him.

"What? Why not?" Fixer asked as he walked back onto the street, pulling his Assault Rifle off his back and holding it in his hands.

"Because, asshole, whenever someone asks that, the monsters or whatever the hell they're against shows up and kills 'em all!" Comet yelled.

"Oh, grow up, Comet," Fixer said to Comet as he approached him.

"Man… just watch…" Comet muttered as the two of them took positions covering Sawa-chan and I. I walked over to the body of the girl and felt remorse for her.

"Ichigo…" I said as I hovered over her dead body. Her torso had been ripped to shreds and her legs had claw marks all over them.

"I recognize this girl, Ricchan," Sawa-chan said as she stood behind me. "She's in the Baton Club, right? Did you know her?"

"I wish I could have," I said, walking away from the body. My stomach bothered me again and before I knew it, I was throwing up on the sidewalk. It only lasted for a couple seconds before everything went back down.

"Ricchan, are you okay?" Sawa-chan asked me. I turned around, wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my blazer, and gave her a thumbs up.

"We should get moving then," Sawa-chan said.

"Right…" I said as I began running again. It was only a short dash before taking a right to the alley me and Mio always took. The others followed behind me as I continued my jog down the road. It actually felt normal for once in this whole thing, no dead bodies lying around, no ASC troopers shouting orders… it was like a peaceful jog through Osaka.

"Take a right!" I said, falling behind Sawa-chan and Fixer, with Comet watching the rear, "through the alleyway!"

They followed my orders as we made our way into the long alley, with only one entrance and exit.

"Ma'am, we're receiving reports of more Pods inbound. Tridents have been detached from the First Fleet and they're engaging any Pods they can," Fixer said as he pressed his fingers against the left side of his helmet, probably a way of communication through his helmet. Sawa-chan looked back, nodded, and faced back ahead.

"The way you repeat things we should just call you 'Echo' instead of 'Fixer,'" Comet said. I giggled at his remark and he looked back at me. Fixer looked back at me as well and I could tell he was glaring at me. "See? She agrees with me."

"Real mature, Comet. We're supposed to be role models, not playmates for these kids," Fixer said to him.

"Yeah, that's why you're the one who acted all friendly," Comet retorted, "There's time to mess around with 'em, y'know. Otherwise we'd just be cannon fodder."

"You got a point…" Fixer agreed with him. The two nodded at each other before taking a quick glance at me.

"So, what are Harvester Runners anyway?" I asked the troopers.

"Runners are the backbone of the Harvester forces," Fixer explained to me, keeping his focus to the front along with Sawa-chan.

"They're deadly," Comet added, "a deep cut from just one of their claws can kill a human. Trust me, I've watched videos from the Battle of Pluto… it was not pretty."

"Speaking of humans… the Runners mimic human appearance, looking just like me or you," Fixer continued, "except, y'know, they're mutated."

"Legend has it that Runners are just zombies brought back from the dead," Comet said as he got closer to my face, "That's why they look just like us."

"Oh, come on, Comet," Fixer nudged him, "leave the kid alone."

"Just trying to get her riled up for what she's going to experience in the Academy," Comet said.

"Academy? What are you talking about?" I asked them with a raised brow.

"Don't worry about it, Tainaka-san," Fixer said to me as he nudged Comet again. The gruff trooper rubbed his stomach and stared at Fixer before turning to me.

"Yeah…" Comet said as he rubbed his stomach. "Don't worry about it, Huskbait."

"Eh? Huskbait? What's that supposed to mean?" I asked as I put my hands on my hips.

"It means you're one of us," Comet said to me. "Every trooper in the Alliance has a nickname, you're Huskbait… it's also because I don't know your name."

"Why Huskbait?" I asked him.

Comet leaned in closer to me, "Because… you're going to be the bait…" he said in an evil tone. I shuddered at what he said before Fixer elbowed him in the gut once more.

"Be serious, Comet. Remember that nicknames always stick to the trooper," Fixer said as we continued down the alley.

"Should've called you Echo then…" Comet muttered. We continued following Sawa-chan in the alleyway, with Comet checking behind us every now and then.

"Say, Comet?" I looked back at him. He had his pistol drawn out and held it in his hands.

"Yeah, Huskbait?" he asked, not even looking at me.

"Why does Fixer have a bigger gun than you?" I smirked at him. He looked like he was fuming as he turned his attention towards me.

"Listen, Huskbait," he said, lifting up his pistol, "this H45 Pistol is standard-issue, but it packs a punch to both Insurrectionists and Harvesters. That M22 Assault Rifle that Fixer has won't be able to stand against this baby."

"Uh-huh… keep telling yourself that, Comet," Fixer said to him. Comet growled at Fixer, but kept his silence. So that's what their weapons are called…

"Ricchan, where to now?" Sawa-chan asked, I looked at her and realized we were out of the alleyway and back on the streets, where dead bodies of both civilians and troopers laid stiff. All over the bodies there were deep claw marks and stab wounds.

"I… I feel like I'm about to…" I said as I felt my stomach turn. Before I knew it, I vomited on the sidewalk, feeling a heavy hand pat my back.

"Ricchan! It's okay, you're just not used to seeing these kinds of things!" Sawa-chan said as I felt her pat my back some more. The vomiting ceased and I wiped my mouth with my sleeve.

"I-I'm fine…" I said, still tasting the warm liquid in my mouth. It was nasty.

"Contact! Runners!" Comet yelled, pointing to the Runners that were running towards us from up the street. I counted at least five of them… they looked so human-like…

"Open fire!" Sawa-chan ordered her two men. She pulled out her holstered H45 and began firing at the Runners; Comet fired his H45 Pistol into the incoming enemies while Fixer kneeled in front of the two, firing his M22 Assault Rifle.

I looked behind us and saw that there were Runners coming from all the way down the street, there were _way _more than what the others were shooting at. I heard the gunfire come to a cease and tapped Sawa-chan on the shoulder.

"All Runners down! Reload!" Sawa-chan yelled. Wow, who knew her Death Devil side could be beneficial.

"Uh… Sawa-chan…" I said, pointing to the Runners that were getting closer, "we have a problem…"

"What is it, Ricc- oh…" she turned around and saw the Runners. Her eyes widened and she called for her troopers. "Comet, Fixer! Problem!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Comet turned around and aimed his H45 Pistol. He fired a few shots at them and a couple Runners fell to the ground, tripping over some of the other ones behind them, which quickly got up.

"Captain, I'll hold them off! Keep moving!" I heard Comet yell. I saw Sawa-chan nod back to him and he ran in the opposite direction, away from where we were supposed to go. I looked back at the trooper I barely knew and saw him pull out his H45 Pistol. He engaged the shadowy Harvester Runners, bringing down a few of them, and in a blink of an eye, I saw one of them unleash their claws on Comet… tearing him apart.

"No!" I yelled, shaking my head and staring back forward to see Fixer and Sawa-chan running. Fixer looked back and I heard him swore quietly.

"Comet's down, ma'am!" he yelled.

"I know," Sawako simply said, she didn't even look back. I guess I wouldn't too if there were a dozen of those things chasing after us. We continued up the street, nearing Mio's house. I couldn't wait to see her, "how close are we, Ricchan?"

"We're close, just up this street and it's the grey two-story!" I told her, I looked back to see the Harvester Runners keeping up with us.

"Got it!" Sawa-chan said, she looked down at her wrist and brought it close to her mouth, "Bravo Crane 3-2, lock onto my position! Requesting pickup and immediate assistance!"

"_Bravo 3-2, you got it, ma'am," _a male voice came out of her wrist, I looked to see that she was talking on her wrist-pad, something only people in the military would have installed on their armor.

"We're here!" I said to her and Fixer as we stopped in front of Mio's house, I felt a sign of relief to see her home untouched and looking the same as it always did when I would go over to her house to hang out with her.

"Fixer! Defensive positions!" Sawako yelled to the trooper, "Let's take these Runners out! Ricchan, take cove behind that car!" she pointed to the car in the Akiyama's driveway. That brought another sign of relief to see that Mio wasn't alone in all of this. I ran towards the car and took cover behind it, getting a good view over the roof.

"Yes, ma'am!" he replied, pulling the M22 Assault Rifle off his back and began to fire into the crowd of incoming Harvester Runners. Sawako fired her pistol into the crowd and many of the stalkers we had chasing us earlier laid dead in the street.

One of them got past Sawako and Fixer! It was coming straight for me! No!

The Runner pushed me to the ground and hovered over me. While I had a close-up of the Runner, I saw that it looked very humanoid, as if it was once a human. The eyes were glowing blue. The Runner opened its mouth and all I could see was darkness. It got closer to my face and all of a sudden, sharp claws grew from where its fingers were.

"N-no!" I screamed, trying to crawl backwards using my elbows. "G-get away!"

"Aaaaaargh!" the Runner shrieked at me. The noise... I'll never forget the noise…

"Ricchan!" I heard Sawa-chan call my name. I closed my eyes and wished for all of this to just go way.

_***BAM***_

I felt a splatter of warm liquid all over my face and something landed on top of me. I was afraid to open my eyes. Once I opened them. I could see it… I could see the dead body of the Runner on top of me… its lifeless husk felt so lightweight, no wonder these things could run fast.

I instantly pushed the husk off of me and tried to catch my breath. My shirt and blazer was stained with the red blood from the Runner. The thing that got me was that the Runner was a girl… about my age… she was wearing a uniform just like mine.

"Ricchan! Are you hurt?!" I looked up and saw Sawa-chan kneeled down next to me.

"I'm fine…" I said as I brought myself to my feet.

"Captain!" I saw Fixer finish off the last of the Runners, "Troopers Jester and Ox have arrived."

"Captain Yamanaka," I looked at the two new arrivals. One was a man and one was a woman. The two of them saluted Sawa-chan before turning to me.

"Hey there, kid," the male, who I presumed to be Ox, ruffled my hair and walked towards Fixer.

"Hello, sweetheart," the girl said in a very calm voice, "I'm Ox."

I stood there for a minute before rudely asking, "You're Ox? I thought you were Jester?"

"Nah, kid," the other trooper and Fixer walked up to me, "I'm Jester. She's Ox."

"And who would you be?" Ox politely asked.

"Ritsu Tainaka…" I said, looking away. Ox put her hand on my shoulder and tilted her head to the side, something Yui would do.

"Alright," Sawa-chan called for all of us, "let's get into the Akiyama house. We get in there, find her and her family, and get out. Understood?"

"Understood, ma'am!" all three of her troopers said. Somehow… I manage to see Comet in the distance, saluting all of us. No one else saw him as he walked away. I looked at the others and pointed to his direction, but when I looked back, he was gone. Freaky…

"You alright, Ricchan?" Ox asked me.

"Y-yeah…" I said, feeling uneasy at the moment she just called me 'Ricchan'. I took a position next to Sawa-chan while Fixer and Jester lined up against the front door.

"Unlocked," Fixer said as he opened the door. Him and Jester walked in and took positions covering the door to make sure my entrance was safe.

"Go, go," Sawa-chan pushed me in after Fixer and Jester.

"Mio!" I yelled. Sawa-chan shushed me and pulled me to the side. She signaled Fixer and Jester to move up to the kitchen while Ox closed the door. I heard some scratching sounds from upstairs and opened my ears to listen in better.

I heard Mio's familiar whimper from upstairs, considering I always joked around with her, sometimes to the point of her tearing up. Without hesitation, I rushed up the stairs and made my way to the cries, blocking out any other sound than her voice.

"Mio!" I yelled as I ran into her room on the second floor.

"Oh shit!" I said as I stopped at the top of the staircase. Two Runners were outside of Mio's door, trying to cut their way through to her door. My voice got their attention as they looked at me and slowly walked towards me, claws drawn and looking hungry.

"Runners!" Fixer yelled as he stood behind me. He aimed his M22 and I ducked under him as he fired at the two Runners. Both of them slumped against the bloody walls as Fixer and Ox took point. Sawa-chan checked to see if I was fine while Jester covered the rear.

"She's in there!" I pointed to the bloody and scratched up door that had a sign that read _'Mio's Room'_. Sawa-chan tried to open the door but to no avail due to it being locked. She swore and looked back at Ox.

"Kick the door open!" Sawa-chan ordered. Ox nodded and placed herself in-front of the door, kicking it open with one hit.

"So that's why they call you Ox…" I said to her as she stepped away from the door. She looked at me and shrugged as I stood in the doorway of Mio's room.

"R-Ritsu…" Mio sobbed, I looked at her as she kneeled next to two lifeless bodies, a H45 Pistol next to the man who was once her dad, "T-They're dead…"

She was still in her uniform… although it was a little ripped and covered in blood, just like mine.

"Mio… I…" I approached her. I didn't know what to say, I mean, the girl's parents were dead in front of her, what could I say? I analyzed the room a bit more and found that the walls were splattered in blood, a mix of dark red with purple, probably from both Akiyama's and the body of the runner that laid on the floor across the room. Mio's face was smudged with blood and tears were rolling down her face.

I kneeled down next to Mio and brought her into a tight hug. She cried onto my shoulder and hugged me back. I looked at the bodies of her parents and saw claw marks all over their bodies.

"Ritsu!" she wailed, "They're dead!"

"I know, Mio, I know... and I'm so sorry," I said as I could feel tears form in my eyes as well. These people… these people that laid dead next to me always took care of me as if I was their second daughter.

"Mio-chan…" Sawa-chan came up to us and pulled both of us into a hug of her own. She patted Mio's head and my back, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"S-sawako-sensei…" Mio sniffled, "what are you doing here?"

"Ricchan led us here…" Sawa-chan said. We spent the next few minutes sobbing onto the armor of our club's advisor while the three other troopers searched the house for any more Runners.

"I-I can't believe they're gone…" Mio finally said. We all let go from our hug and looked at her.

"H-how did it happen?" I asked her, wiping the tears away from my face.

"I-I don't know… I-I was…" she stopped and stared off into space. Sawa-chan put her hand on my shoulder and shook her head.

"It's a difficult time for her," she whispered into my ear, "Mio-chan will tell you when her mind is better. For now, let her take it easy."

"Right…" I said.

"Come on, girls…" Sawa-chan said as she stood up, "let's go. We don't have much time."

"Alright," I said to her as I watched her leave the room and heard her footsteps go down the stairs. I looked at Mio and saw her mindlessly follow Sawa-chan. I sighed and followed the two of them.

Mio and I gathered with Sawa-chan and her troopers downstairs.

"Are any of you guys hungry?" Fixer asked from the kitchen. I looked at Mio and saw her frail body. She shivered for a second, looked at me, and shook her head no.

"We're good, Fixer," Sawa-chan said. Fixer walked into the living room from the kitchen and nodded. "Let's go, everyone," Sawa-chan said as she walked out the front door. The rest of us followed her.

As we walked outside of the house, we saw more Pods fall from the sky. A number of ASC Trident gunships were engaging the Pods. Thank God most of the fighting was being done in the city. I looked at the street to see the many dead husks lying around.

"Close your eyes, Mio," I said to her.

"N-no… I'll just… look away," she said, looking back at her house.

"How the hell did they get past our defenses?" Jester asked. Mio and I listened in to the troopers' conversation.

"Beats me," Ox said. "Still though, we've been safe for over 100 years and all of a sudden the Harvesters return just like that. Why now?"

"Probably to finish the job when our ancestors stopped them from doing it the first time," Fixer suggested. "It's been a long time. Don't you think they've built up their armies too? Honestly, I'm starting to believe Comet's story of the Runners being infected zombies," Fixer said as he looked at many of the dead bodies of the Runners he and Sawa-chan exterminated earlier.

"Where is Comet anyway? That bastard owes me 10 bucks from the Holo Game last week," Jester said.

"The one between the Tokyo Tornadoes and the Kyōto Knights?" Ox asked. Jester nodded to her. Fixer looked down at the ground and sighed.

"Comet was killed earlier… covered our escape when the Runners got too close," he explained to the two troopers, "The kid and I saw him get ripped apart… he bought us time."

Jester and Ox looked surprised. They both tiled their heads down and whispered something, maybe a prayer. It was silent for a minute before someone cleared their throat. The three of them turned their attention to Sawa-chan, who lifted her arm close to her mouth.

"Bravo 3-2, what's your ETA?" Sawa-chan asked into her wrist-pad.

"_Captain, the situation's bad… I can't get a precise ETA, but I know for sure it won't be at the Akiyama house," _the same voice from earlier said to her, _"Runners have broken through the Northern district's defenses… too many casualties. I advise either fallback to Sakuragaoka High School or a different extraction point."_

"We can't do that, Bravo 3-2! We'll be overrun before we can even get back to the school!" Sawa-chan said.

"_I can't risk it, Captain! I see the Akiyama house; the Runners are a few blocks away! Please, Captain, head back to the school!"_

"I'll see what we can do, Bravo 3-2," Sawa-chan sighed, "Sawako out."

"Captain, report from Captain Rex. He lost communication with the Northern district's defense… he's a little late on that. He also said that he'll try to buy us time and wait for us back at the school," I looked at Fixer, "We don't have much time before Rex will decide to leave."

"I see," Sawako looked at Mio and I, "Will you be fine, Mio-chan?"

"I-I don't know if I want to leave, sensei," Mio said as she turned back to her house, which looked so peaceful and undisturbed. She sniffled and I tapped her and the shoulder. She turned back to me with a tear rolling down her face. I wiped it way with my right hand, since my left was too bloody to touch her with.

"It'll be okay, Mio," I said, extending my hand towards her, "I'll be by your side no matter what."

"Y-you promise?" she asked, looking at my hand, and then back at what once was her home.

"I promise," I flashed a grin at her. She nodded and took my hand; I felt the warmth of her soft skin and smiled. We followed Sawa-chan and her team down the street as more Pods were falling from the sky and more explosions sounded off in the distance, followed by gunfire.

I don't know the challenges that Houkago Tea Time will encounter in the future, but what I know for sure is that we'll get through them, together as a band and together as a family. Speaking of family… my mom and dad… Satoshi!

I looked back at the houses that were beyond Mio's to find mine. I could see in the distance my house, which had smoke coming out of the chimneys. My eyes widened in fear that my parents and maybe Satoshi would be dead.

I let go of Mio's hand and made a dash for my house. I heard Mio calling my name followed by several footsteps behind me.

"Ritsu!" was all I could hear. I had to get to my house. I had to find out if I had my family was still alive. I had to.

That's when everything went black.

* * *

**Amber Skies**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**- **The universe in which this story takes place in is slightly based off of _Mass Effect _and _Halo_, but with some properties of my own.

**- **This story is a prototype for my upcoming original story, _Falling Stars_, taking place onboard the _ASC Oshiro _as well. There will be some crossovers between characters from _Falling Stars _and this story.

**- **Characters such as students from Class 3-2 and OnNaGumi will appear in later chapters and maybe become main characters along with the girls. *POSSIBLY* the inclusion of Sumire and Nao from the Wakaba Girls.

**- **Comet's figured it out! Good thing I killed him off before he realized anything else about being cannon fodder. Hehe!

**- **Oh no! Ichigo Wakaōji fans, I am so sorry that I had to kill her off without her even speaking. Those who have read the Highschool manga, sorry for killing off Jun's brother too… but I don't think anyone would really care… besides Jun of course.

**- **This will be in Ritsu's POV most of the time, hence the name '_Amber_' _Skies_, which is in relation to her hair and eye color (yes, I know they're Hazel and Brown, but they're all identical, so… yeah) but there will be other times when someone like Mio or Azusa tells the story.

**- **This chapter was based off of _Mass Effect 3's _first mission, where the Reapers invade Earth in a surprise attack.

**- **Every Trooper that the girls meet will have a nickname, this is a reference to _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_, where all of the clone troopers have a nickname (ex: Captain 'Rex' and Commander 'Cody'). This was added so that the reader won't be confused with all of their real names and that way they'll be simply known as Fixer or Comet or whatever nickname I give them.

**-**There will be relationships between the characters, but all will be revealed in time. So stay tuned! I'll see you next time on Amber Skies. Stay classy!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes**

**- **Welcome back to chapter 2 of _Amber Skies_! Glad you could be here with me as we take the second step into our journey! Hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to R&R! Reviews are gladly appreciated. Have fun!

* * *

**Amber Skies**

**Chapter 2 – A Lost Fate**

* * *

_Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature's delight.__ – Marcus Aurelius_

* * *

"_Daddy, what's in the stars?" I asked as I looked at my father, who sat next to me. He'd brought Satoshi and me to the roof to watch the stars just like every other night. _

"_There are a lot of things in the stars. Mostly hydrogen," he said. My father is a scientist. I don't know what he actually does, but he works with the military. I didn't know what that word was. I mean, I'm only 10 years old. How should I?_

"_I'm being serious, daddy," I said to him. He chuckled and ruffled my hair._

"_Well, to most people, stars are symbols of hope. To others, it's a symbol of new things to explore one day," he said. I looked back at the dark sky with amusement and oohed. _

"_I want to go to the stars one day, daddy! I want to be an explorer!" I said to him in an enthusiastic tone._

"_I bet you will, Ricchan," he said. I looked at him and saw the same smirk he always had on his face. I looked down and saw Satoshi asleep on his lap, "Oh look, your brother's already asleep. It's getting late too, Ricchan. We should go inside."_

"_Okay, daddy," I said as he carried Satoshi in a bridal-style carry._

"_Your mommy will get mad at me too," he whispered, "She doesn't know I bring you guys up here."_

_I giggled._

* * *

"Ritsu!" I heard my name. I felt someone shake me hard as I heard gunfire in the background, "Ritsu, wake up! Please don't leave me alone…"

My eyes opened and I could see the magenta sky, followed by someone hovering over me.

"Dad?" I bolted up, colliding heads with whoever was hovered over me. I moaned and rubbed my forehead before my eyesight adjusted to the setting.

"Ow, Ritsu… that hurt…" I heard someone whimper. I turned towards the sound of the whimper and saw Mio sitting a few inches away from me, rubbing her head. We were sitting on black cement. Black cement… we're still on the road.

I brought myself up to my feet and looked around. Mio stood up as well and before I knew it, I felt Mio's fist land on top of my head.

"Itai!" I cried, rubbing my head as I felt a small bump form, "Why, Mio?"

"That's what you get for bumping heads with me," she said as she folded her arms and looked away. I grinned at her but she ignored me. I rubbed the back of my head and nervously chuckled while we stood there for a minute.

"What happened to me, Mio?" I finally asked her. She looked at me with a questioning look.

"I don't know, Ritsu," she said, "You just blacked out and fell."

"I just… blacked out?" I asked. She nodded and I looked around, "Where's Sawa-chan?"

"They're a little bit up the street. You see, when you blacked out, a bunch of those… _things_ attacked us," Mio said, "Also, it seems that Bravo 3-2 can pick us up. So, they're clearing an extraction point for the Crane to land."

"Dang, Mio," I said to her. She raised an eyebrow at me, "I didn't know you knew a lot about military stuff, kudos!"

She rolled her eyes at me and I heard gunfire. I turned to the direction of the gunfire and saw that up ahead, Sawa-chan was firing her H45 Pistol. I looked at me and held my hand out. She took it and I led Mio towards the gunfire and Sawa-chan.

"Keep firing!" Sawa-chan ordered her troopers. Mio and I walked up to her and saw that Jester, Ox, and Fixer were shooting at incoming Runners. There were many of them like earlier, but this time, there was a Crane above us, giving us covering fire.

"Brave 3-2! Land!" Sawa-chan shouted into her wrist-pad. She fired her H45 Pistol into the crowd of Runners that were getting closer by the second.

"_Landing! Troopers are going to cover you guys while you make your way to us!" _the pilot of the Crane said to Sawa-chan, _"You got 30 seconds, ma'am!"_

"You heard him! Make your way to the landing point!" Sawa-chan ordered, the troopers slowly moved up while the Crane descended, eventually hovering over the ground for the sliding doors on both sides to open. On one side, two troopers fired into the horde of incoming Runners while another one ran out to assist the rest of us on making it to the Crane.

"_They're getting closer! I can't hold it!" _the pilot shouted. I looked ahead and indeed the Runners were getting closer. It was in a flash that the Runners eventually reached the Crane. In a panic, the Crane started to lift off without us. The Runners grabbed one of the troopers and pulled him out of the Crane and into the streets where they tore him to pieces. The other one jumped out before the Runners could attack him.

"Bravo 3-2! Get out of there! Back away from the Crane everyone!" Sawa-chan yelled as the two troopers from the Crane joined her and her own troopers. All of the Runners that previously were attacking us now attached themselves onto the Crane through their claws. Things looked bad for the pilot.

"_Captain, I can't control her! I'm going down!" _he yelled. I saw the Crane as the drop-ship began to spin out of control and smoke began coming out of its engines. The Runners climbed towards the cockpit where the two pilots sat. One of the Runners unleashed its claw and stabbed one of the pilots through the glass, effectively bringing down the ship.

"_My co-pilot's dead!" _he yelled one last time before the Crane made a loud whirring sound and flew over one of the houses to our right, crashing into one of the streets on the other side of the buildings. He took most of the Runners with him and those that didn't attach themselves onto the Crane were killed by the other troopers.

"3-2!" Sawa-chan yelled into her wrist-pad, "Bravo 3-2, respond!" she said one last time before swearing.

"Well… there goes our ride outta here…" Jester said as we all regrouped on Sawa-chan. She had a grieve look on her face as she turned to face all of us.

"You two," she pointed to the two troopers that were previously in the Crane. One of them was a man and another was a girl. There was a huge height difference between the two of them. It was the man who almost got snatched by the Runners in the Crane, "How the hell did the Crane get overrun?"

"It all happened so fast, ma'am," the male trooper said. He looked at the girl and she nodded in agreement, "Butcher and I were firing at the Runners, and then all of a sudden they just got closer."

"Wait, you and Butcher? Names," Sawa-chan said to them.

"Nitro, ma'am," he saluted, "This is Angel," he pointed to the female trooper next to him. Jester, Fixer, and Ox took positions around us to ensure our safety.

"I see, well, Nitro… continue," Sawa-chan said. Nitro nodded to her and did so.

"The Runners got close… while Angel was escorting you, your troopers, and the survivors to the Crane, that's when it hit us. The Runners grabbed Butcher and yanked him out of the Crane… then they killed him…" Nitro said as his voice started to break. He cleared his throat and continued, "That's when I jumped out and… you know the rest, ma'am…"

"What about Captain Rex and his battalion stationed at Sakuragaoka High School?" she asked Nitro, "I lost contact with him when his Northern defenses were lost."

"I'm afraid we did too, Captain," Nitro told her, "Once we took off from Sakuragaoka High School, we started to lose contact with Captain Rex. It turned into static a few minutes after the Northern defense was gone."

"I see…" Sawa-chan looked past Nitro and Angel and at Jester and Fixer, "Jester, Fixer! Is Butcher still alive?"

"Butcher… got butchered, Captain!" Jester yelled as he and Fixer checked the bodies of the dead Runners to make sure they were dead. Ox sighed at her comrade and shook her head.

"Idiot… always joking around…" she muttered as she continued to guard the area, pacing back and forth.

"Regroup on me!" Sawa-chan yelled at them. Fixer leaned down into a pile of bodies and pulled something out, presumably the dog tag of Butcher. Jester waited for him and the two began jogging over to us.

"Well, uh… what do we do now, Captain?" Nitro asked. Sawa-chan looked at me.

"Ricchan, when you ran off, where were you going?" she asked me. I looked at my house, which was just a few houses down, then pointed at it.

"I was going home… to make sure my brother and my parents were alright," I told her. She tapped her chin thoughtfully and looked at my house.

"Then that's the plan," she said. Some of her troopers looked at each other, "We have no choice but to stay at Tainaka-san's home until we can make a new plan."

"Right," I said to her. My heart began racing due to anticipation of seeing my parents and brother. I led Sawa-chan and everyone else to my home. Fixer walked up to the sliding door.

"Locked," Fixer said as he tried sliding the door open. I looked at him and grinned.

"Keys are in my bag," I said, looking through my schoolbag from Sakuragaoka. I fumbled through my phone, which was dead, my drumsticks, and a few notebooks before finding my keys at the bottom of the bag.

I unlocked the door and slid it open. Once everyone was in, Fixer shut the door and Nitro stayed there as watch. The hallways looked the same as I had left it this morning. Everything was in order. I sighed with relief and walked into the living room. Mio sat down on the couch as Jester and Fixer walked into the kitchen. Sawa-chan, Angel, and Ox sat down next to Mio and began small talk with her.

"Mom! Dad!" I yelled. Sawa-chan put her hand on my shoulder and shook her head, "But Sawa-chan, everything looks fine."

She sighed and let me go as I walked up the stairs, "Mom! Dad! You here? I'm home!" I yelled. I walked into my parents' bedroom and saw a suitcase sitting on the bed. I looked around and found a note sitting on top of the dresser. I grabbed it and sat on the edge of the bed, next to the suitcase.

_Dear Ritsu, your father and I will be leaving this morning for Tokyo. He has a business meeting and wants me to accompany him. We'll be back in a few days Take care of your brother for us! Love you. Stay safe. – Mom_

"No…" I said as I finished reading the note. I felt tears form in my eyes and some landed on the note. I wiped the tears away and sniffled. I heard the voices of those downstairs and folded the note and stuffed it into my blazers pocket. I stood up and walked outside of my parent's room and down the hall to my brothers, Satoshi, room.

"Please be in here…" I whispered as I opened his door. His room was the usual mess.

"Satoshi!" I yelled as I entered my brother's room. I looked around and opened his closet. Nothing was in there except his clothes. I sighed and leaned against the wall. Empty, just like the rest of the house. No trace of where he is, or if he's alive. My eyes watered again and I just sat there, letting the tears flow down my face. The sound of footsteps prompted me to wipe my tears away again with my sleeve.

"Ritsu…" Mio said to me as she walked into Satoshi's room, I checked under the bed covers for my little brother, but to no avail, it was a pillow. I looked at her and ushered for her to continue, "I… I forgot Elizabeth…"

"Elizabeth?" I raised an eyebrow at her, "Your bass?" She nodded and I sighed. Mio's bass is the only thing she can have to remember her past. It'll help her better.

"I want to go get her… but Sawa-chan said it's important for us to stay in here," Mio said, "Please, Ritsu…"

"Don't worry, Mio…" I rubbed my chin, "I have an idea."

I grabbed Mio's hand and rushed downstairs to the living room, where Sawa-chan and Ox were discussing what our next motive should be. Angel and Nitro stood around and listened in to what Sawa-chan was saying. Mio and I ran by them and into the kitchen, where Jester sat at the dining table and Fixer looked through the cabinets.

"Yo," Jester waved to us. Mio stood behind me and tugged on my blazer.

"Fixer, Jester, we need you," I said to them. The two troopers turned their attention to me and listened in, "We need you to sneak us outta here."

"What?" Fixer asked, closing the cabinet, "Why do you want to leave?"

"It's going to be real quick, Fixer," I pleaded to him, "Mio left her bass back at her house and we want to get it."

Mio pinched me, "You mean _her_, Ritsu."

"Yeah! Her!" I whined, "So, could you please help us?"

"Captain said nobody leaves," Jester said. I looked at him with frustration, "Hey, I may joke around a bit too much, but I still follow orders. It's what a good soldier does."

"You? A good soldier?" I chuckled, "A good soldier does what they see as being right. In this case, it would be right for you to help us get Mio's bass back."

"Tell us first, why is it so important for Akiyama-san to get her bass back?" Fixer asked. I looked at them, then back at Mio. I walked towards Fixer, and pulled Jester along with me. I lined him up next to Fixer and had them lean in closer.

"Because…" I whispered, "She just lost her parents, guys… her bass could be the only thing that will keep her sane. Y'know?"

Fixer and Jester exchanged looks and looked at Mio, who was standing with a sad look on her face.

"What's the plan, Huskbait?" Fixer asked. I frowned at him and he chuckled, "We'll help, right Jester?" he nudged his fellow trooper. Jester looked at me and nodded.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he said. I smiled at them and Mio walked up to us. I brought all three of them into a huddle as I began to explain my plan.

"Trust me; I do," I smiled, "So Fixer, you're going to go with me and Mio to her house so we can pick up Elizabeth. We'll be cutting through the backyard and, I'm afraid, to the street where Bravo 3-2 crashed. Then we can cut through the backyards again and be at my house."

"Sounds like a decent plan," Fixer said to me, "You know your way around the neighborhood, so we'll be fine. And if we get into trouble," he took his M22 off his back, "I have this."

"What about me?" Jester asked, "What can I do?"

"Your role is the most important one, Jester," I said to him. He nodded and I could tell a smile formed behind his helmet, "You're going to stay here."

"Eh?"

"We need someone to distract Sawa-chan while we're gone so she doesn't grow suspicious and look for us," I told him.

"I see…" he nodded his head, "So, what do I say to her?"

"That's up to you, buddy," I said to him. We were stopped by someone clearing their throat.

"What are you guys doing?"

Our huddle disassembled, we looked behind us to find Ox leaning against the wall, "Going to get Akiyama-san's bass is dangerous," she said.

"Please, Ox, we need to find her –"

"Trust me, Tainaka-san, I know what you mean," she said as she checked out Fixer, "You can't do it with just one guy. I'll help."

"Great, Ox! You can come up with something to tell Captain Yamanaka!" Jester said a bit too loud. Sawa-chan appeared next to Ox and all of us flinched.

"Tell me what?" she asked as she folded her arms. Nitro and Angel's heads popped out behind her as they watched us get checked.

"Tell you, uh…" Jester looked at us for help, but everyone else shrugged. "Tainaka-san!" he pointed to me. I looked at him unbelievably, "She wants Fixer and Ox to help her check the attic because she's too scared!"

"I see…" Sawa-chan said. I wiped away the sweat from my forehead and sighed with relief. She turned around and Nitro and Angel vanished from behind her. She turned back towards us and pointed at Jester, "Get in here, Jester. We need you."

"Yes, ma'am!" he said. Jester ran into the living room with the others and I looked at Fixer and Ox.

"Let's go," I said as I opened the sliding door that led to the backyard. Mio, Fixer, and Ox followed and I slid the door shut once they were in the backyard.

I looked at all three of them and I began running over to the side gate, which led to our neighbors, the Nakamura's, backyard. It was unlocked and I opened it, where it made a creaking sound. I ran through the backyard and opened another side gate, which led to their driveway.

"Alright," I said as everyone else caught up with me. I looked up and down the street only to find nothing but a few carcasses and some flipped over cars. I looked down where we were supposed to go and saw the smoke from the crashed Crane rising to the sky.

"Let me take a look," Fixer said as he stood in-front of me. He stared onto the street ahead and examined the crash site. "'It looks clear…" he said, "No sign of survivors from 3-2, but all the Runners are down."

"Should we move up?" Ox asked. He turned towards us.

"It would be advisable," he said as he faced back to the street, "There's nothing I can recover from the crash site anyway. Too much damage."

"Lead the way then," I said to him. Fixer nodded and ran out of the cover. Mio and I followed pursuit as Ox covered the rear. We ran down the street and past some houses. The only noise was from either our footsteps as we ran or the sizzling flames from the crash site. We reached a house and I opened the side gate to it.

"Through the backyard," I said. Fixer, Mio, and Ox ran by as I shut the side gate. I followed after them and Mio opened the side gate to her own backyard. I looked at her and she closed it as we entered the backyard.

"Backyard door's locked," Fixer said as he tried to open it. He turned back towards us and Mio led us through another side gate and before we knew it, we were in the driveway of the Akiyama's residence. I looked around and saw the dead Runners from earlier.

"Unlocked," Ox said as she opened the door. Mio looked at the house and shivered.

"You alright, Mio?" I asked her. She looked at me and hesitantly nodded. I took her by the hand and led her to the front door, where Fixer and Ox were waiting.

"Go, go," Fixer said. Mio and I walked into the living room, followed by Ox and Fixer. Fixer closed the door and looked around the living room, along with Ox.

"I'll go check upstairs," Mio said. I gave her a concerned look.

"Are you sure you can go up there yourself?" I asked her. She nodded hesitantly.

"Yeah… I can," she said as she walked up the stairs. I looked around the living room for her guitar case, but to no avail. I saw Ox and Fixer check the other rooms on the first floor, but they couldn't find it either. I went up the stairs after Mio and found her standing in the hallway, gazing into an open room.

"Nothing's downstairs, Mio," I told her. I looked at Mio as she stared into her room, "Is it in there?" I asked. I heard heavy breathing coming from Mio and walked up to her.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Mio gasped. I looked into Mio's room and saw that Mio's parents were still on the floor, but a Runner was hovering over them, "What-" I covered Mio's mouth from saying anything and pulled her to the side. We hid behind the wall and I watched the Runner as it unleashed its claws and dug into the bodies of the Akiyama's.

"Close your eyes, Mio…" I whispered to her. Mio did so and I continued to watch as the Runner ripped apart the arm of Mio's father. I cringed as the Runner simply looked at the arm and then tossed it across the room. "Oh my God…"

"_AAAAARGH!"_ the Runner shrieked as it looked around. It sniffed the air and it instantly turned to the door. I moved my head back, closed my eyes, and took deep breathes as I could hear the Runner approaching. I heard it sniff one more time until it came to a stop, _"AAAAAAR-"_

_***BAM***_

I heard something fall to the floor and I opened my eyes to see Fixer and Ox standing next to us. I looked back into Mio's room and saw the Runner on the floor. I looked around and saw the armless body of her father and the mutilated body of her mother. My stomach felt uneasy as I entered the room.

"Where's her bass…" I murmured as I walked around the bodies of the Akiyama's. I couldn't even look at them anymore due to how disfigured they turned. I saw Mio's guitar case in the corner of her room and walked towards it. I unzipped it and saw her Fender Japan '62 Reissue Jazz Bass in 3-Tone Sunburst in the case. I sighed with relief and zipped it back closed. I picked up the guitar case and slung it over my shoulder, "Got it."

"They had an H45…" Fixer said as he was kneeling down next to the Akiyama's. I looked at him and felt anger surge through my body and walked up to him. He looked up at me, then back at the Akiyama's, "H45's can't be permitted for civilian use."

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked him. He picked up the H45 pistol off the ground and examined it, popping out the magazine that was in it and checking it.

"I'm talking about it's against the law for a civilian to be carrying an H45," he said, pushing the magazine back into its spot and pulling back on the chamber, "Akiyama-san's father or mother had to be in the military."

"Yeah, Mio's father is a scientist," I told him. He placed the H45 back on the ground next to Mio's father and looked at me to continue, "Her dad works with my dad. That's how we met."

"I see…" Fixer said as I stood up, "Well, let's go."

"Right…" I said as I walked out of the room. I looked back to see Fixer bowing over the bodies of Mio's parents. He followed me out and closed the door once he was in the hallway. I looked at Mio and her eyes were still shut.

"Is it gone, Ritsu?" she asked, her eyes still closed. I put my hand on her shoulder and she faced in my direction with her eyes shut.

"Yeah, it is, Mio," I told her. Her eyes opened and I saw her grey eyes that I always saw. It made my heart warm up as I looked at Fixer and Ox.

"So, ready to head back to your home?" Ox asked. I looked at Mio and both of us nodded. She took her M22 off her back and prepared it as we walked down the stairs.

"Same plan, straight sprint for the backyard," I told them. Fixer looked at me, then at the guitar case that was on my back. He stopped.

"Let me take that," he said. I looked at Mio for permission and she slowly nodded. I took Elizabeth off my back and handed it over to Fixer, who carefully slung the guitar case over his back.

"Ready?" Ox asked as we lined up against the door.

"Open it," I said to her. She did so and we began jogging out of the house. It was clear as we ran down the street. We ran past the wrecked Crane and bodies of Runners and made our way to the house where we would cut through the backyard.

We turned and moved into the house through the side gate, where we came from earlier. In a flash, we were back in my backyard, panting and trying to catch our breaths. I looked at Mio and she gave me a faint thumbs up.

"We… we made… it…" I said in between breaths as I walked over to the sliding door. I slid it open and heard Sawa-chan's voice in the living room. I sighed with relief as she hadn't noticed we were gone. I walked in and the others followed as we entered the kitchen. I slid the door closed and tried to catch my breath.

"Here's your bass, Akiyama-san," Fixer said as he took off the guitar case and handed it over to Mio. Mio took it and slightly bowed. Mio slung the guitar case containing Elizabeth over her shoulder as I heard footsteps approach me.

"Ricchan," Sawa-chan's voice said. I flinched and turned around, meeting her face to face as the other troopers who stayed behind were behind her.

"Y-yeah, Sawa-chan?" I asked. She glared at me, then at Mio.

"We're going to make a straight dash for the school," she said. I blinked at her and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

"Excuse me?" I blinked again.

"The plan, Ricchan," she told me. I oohed and nodded.

"Sounds like a foolish plan," I said to her. She groaned, "But it's the only chance we have of getting out of here."

"Right," she said, "So, let's get moving."

We piled out of my house after one last check for Satoshi, but to no avail. I followed Sawa-chan down the street as we were headed back for Sakuragaoka.

"We'll take the same alleyway, and then we'll be back on the main street," Sawa-chan told us as we ran down the street. We ran by a couple of dead Runners and the mutilated body of Comet and took a left into the same alleyway from earlier.

As we all made it out of the alleyway, we jogged through the street and ran by Ichigo and Jun's brothers bodies. We made another turn and before I knew it, we were on the main street that everyone took to school in the morning.

"Keep moving!" Sawa-chan ordered. All of us continued running up the street and turned onto the main street that most students took to Sakuragaoka, "Almost there!"

"There's the school!" Fixer yelled, he pointed to Sakuragaoka at the top of the street. Everyone seemed to be relieved. I noticed that there were many dead Runners on the streets and many ASC troopers. As if there was a huge battle.

We made our way to the gates of Sakuragaoka and everyone stopped in their tracks. We looked inside and saw that the gate was broken open. Beyond the gate, there were more bodies of Runners and ASC troopers lying on the cement and grass.

"No way…" Jester gasped. He took a step in and looked around. "Everyone's dead…"

"How could this happen?" Sawa-chan asked as she took a step in and led the way into the courtyard. The rest of us followed after Sawa-chan and entered the school.

"It's like a massacre," Fixer said. He looked at Angel as she kneeled down next to a pile of ASC troopers that were on top of another.

"What are you doing?" Jester asked her as he stood behind her.

"Scan the area," Sawa-chan said, "Ricchan, Mio-chan, stay close to me. Pick up any ammo you need and prep your gear."

"Yes, ma'am!" her troopers said. Mio and I followed Sawa-chan as she walked over to an area where the two of us could sit down.

"I see you found your bass, Mio-chan," Sawa-chan smirked. Mio flinched and I coughed.

"You know we left?" I asked.

"Now I do," Sawa-chan's smirk turned into a devious smile. She winked at us. Mio and I exchanged horrified looks before I got on my knees.

"It was my fault, Sawa-chan!" I pleaded to her, "Mio needed to find Elizabeth!"

"I know, Ricchan, I know…" she patted my head and her gentle smile that we saw every day in the clubroom returned. For a moment, it felt like what would be a normal day before everything went back to the nightmare by just a voice.

"Captain!" Fixer called from the other side of the courtyard, "I found Captain Rex…"

All of us rushed over to where Fixer was and saw Captain Rex in his grey, blue-striped armor. He was slumped up against the fountain, with a few dead Runners next to him. There were huge gashes all over his body and a puddle of blood lied next to him, a huge crack on the visor of his helmet. There was blood coming out of the hole in his stomach, where we… could see his… his guts.

"That is so not right…" Jester groaned.

All of a sudden, the body of Captain Rex began shaking. The man who we thought was dead jolted around and looked at me.

"C-Captain?" Fixer asked as he backed up. Sawa-chan moved Mio and I behind her as she pointed her H45 Pistol at his face. Ox and Angel grabbed the two of us and pointed their M22's at Captain Rex.

"L-Looks… looks like you got her…" Captain Rex coughed, "W-Well… w-we waited for you… Sawako…"

"Captain Rex… thank you…" Sawa-chan kneeled next to him. He put his hand up and tried to reach for Sawa-chan; she looked at his hand and grabbed it. "I'm here."

For a few minutes, Sawa-chan sat there with Captain Rex, in his last moments of life. He brought her closer to him, "Captain… there's… there's something else here…"

"What is it, Rex?" Sawa-chan asked as she leaned in.

"They're… they're not Runners, Captain…" he sighed, "Something else… something… something more deadly," he said as he gagged on his own blood. He continued coughing until he let out a long exhale. Sawa-chan let go of his hand as Captain Rex laid there motionless, just like before.

"Something else?" Jester asked, "Could it be Insurrectionists?"

"No, it wouldn't fit," Fixer said, "A new type of Harvester?"

"Only ones recorded from the past marked Runners as the only kind of Harvester," Ox said, "Maybe they… evolved?"

"I'll see it when I believe it," Jester nervously chuckled, "Oh, I hope I don't see it…" he muttered.

"Don't be such a baby, Jester," I said to him. He looked at me and I grinned, "Hey, man, I was just kidding."

"Come on, it's getting dark," Sawa-chan said as she looked at the sky, then back at the main building of the school. I looked at the building as well and saw the clubroom at the top. I sighed and followed Sawa-chan as she led us to the doors.

"Nitro, Ox, check the electrical outage of the whole building," Sawa-chan ordered. The two troopers followed her command and went ran all the way down the courtyard, before disappearing around the corner.

"We have to go… in there?" Jester asked as we stood in-front of the doors to the main building.

"Want to stay out here in the courtyard at night time?" Fixer asked him. Jester shook his head and shut his mouth, "We have a better chance of survival if we're indoors."

"Hey, power's out," Nitro said as he and Ox rejoined us, "I suggest floodlights, ma'am. We can clear out a room or something."

"Good suggestion, Nitro," Sawa-chan said, "Fixer, Nitro, mind being my eyes?"

"Your eyes, ma'am?" Nitro asked, clearly confused by what Sawa-chan just said. She smirked and patted both of their backs.

"Good news, you two will be leading the way in," she said. Fixer and Nitro flinched at what she said before returning to attention. Fixer nodded and Nitro hesitantly agreed.

"You got it, ma'am," Fixer said.

"_AAAAAARGH!"_ a screech arose in the distance. I gasped at the screech as it was the same one I heard earlier when I almost died. I looked around and saw Jester shivering.

"Can we please go inside now?" he asked as he back up towards Ox, having his M22 pointed at the rising darkness that was nighttime. Fixer and Sawa-chan pointed their weapons at the doors as Nitro opened them.

"Complete darkness," Nitro said as he switched on his floodlights, which were flashlights attached to his helmet. He scanned the first hallway and looked around. "Bodies are of Runners," he said and looked down and saw a bunch of chairs and desks on the wooden floor, "They tried to barricade the door."

"Move in," Sawa-chan said as Fixer and Nitro entered in. Everyone else switched on their floodlights and followed Sawa-chan in. Jester, Angel, and Ox stayed behind me and Mio so they could watch our backs. I walked up closer to Fixer and walked next to him.

"Bodies," Fixer whispered next to me. He looked at Nitro and the latter nodded. I looked down the hallway and saw more dead bodies than at the entrance. I cringed at the sight of the bloodshed and dismemberment in the tightknit quarters.

"Dead, right?" Nitro asked. He seemed kind of rattled, just like Mio was. I guess that's reasonable.

"They look pretty dead to me," I said. Nitro scoffed while Fixer chuckled a little. The bodies were consisting of dead ASC troopers, Runners, and the occasional schoolgirl from Sakuragaoka High School. Thank God they were no one I knew, mostly third-years who let the second and first-years leave first.

"They were trying to make a stand," Ox said from behind.

"Yeah…" Jester agreed with her, "Doesn't look like they did too well though."

_***SMACK***_

"Ow! I was just kidding…" Jester groaned, "Jeez, Ox… you hit so hard."

"Uh... that wasn't her…" a calm and soft voice said, "That was me. Forgive me, Jester, but you need to be a little bit more serious," this marked the first time Angel has spoken since we first met her. Seems that she likes being quiet.

"Who knew Angel could pack a punch?" Fixer said. I grinned and looked at Mio.

"Trust me, Fixer, I know what you mean," I said as Mio turned to face me with a questionable look on her face. It took her a moment before she realized what I was talking about and looked away, not amused.

"Up the stairs to the second floor," Sawa-chan said. There were a few dead Runners on the steps and slumped against the walls. We followed Nitro and Fixer's lead up the stairs while Ox, Jester, and Angel watched our backs. They soon followed and we were back to the same setting, more dead ASC troopers and students.

We passed by an open classroom to our right. Nitro shined his floodlights through before passing by it. In it there were dead Runners and one dead trooper with his head missing. I cringed at the sight and walked by it before something brought my attention back.

"H-Help…" a quiet whimper came from the room. Sawa-chan stopped and ordered for Nitro to watch the front and Ox and Jester to watch the back. The three of those troopers took positions near the entrance to the door of the classroom. Fixer and Angel lined up behind her as she entered the dark classroom.

Having nothing to do outside in the hallway and out of curiosity, I followed them in and dragged Mio along with me. Mio's grip tightened again and she tried to pull me back, but lost.

"Ritsu…" Mio whimpered, "I don't want to go in there…"

"Trust me, Mio, it'll be safe," I said to her. She nodded and I pulled her into the room. Fixer and Angel were searching the few dead bodies in the classroom while Sawa-chan walked up to the desk of the classroom.

"O-Over here…" the voice said again. Fixer turned and his floodlights revealed a few desks stacked together in the corner of the classroom, as a kind of barricade.

"Angel, prepare your medical kit for any injured," Sawa-chan ordered her. Angel nodded and took off her backpack and began to dig through it, "Fixer, move up."

Mio and I followed Sawa-chan and Fixer towards the barricade of desks, Fixer slowly moved up and checked over the desks. I heard him gasp before turning to Sawa-chan.

"Three civilians, all of them are schoolgirls," he said before hopping over to the other side of the desks where the voices came from, "Two of them are dead, one is… severely injured," he continued. Sawa-chan swore and jogged over towards him. Mio and I followed after and saw what was behind the desks.

"Stay with me, kid," Fixer said as he kneeled next to the girl that was still alive. The bodies next to her were covered in cuts and a large puddle of blood was under her. Her hair was of a greenish-grey color, mixed with blood and her eyes were light green. The girl had the ribbon color of a second-year, blue. "Can you tell me your name?"

"T-Toshimi… Nakanishi…" she groaned as blood rolled down from her mouth. She coughed out blood and gritted her teeth, "Please…"

"What's her situation, Fixer?" Angel asked as she reached us. With her she carried a medical kit.

"Massive blood loss, major bruises and cuts on her limbs, and a large opening on her torso," Fixer shook his head, "I don't think we can save her."

"P-Please… t-there's more survivors…" she mustered. With her heavy breathing it was getting hard to understand her, "They're… they were headed to the Light Music Club's room… please… s-save them…" she said and exhaled a giant breath.

"She's… she's gone, Captain," Fixer said. I looked at Mio and Mio looked away from the bodies.

"Well, she said there are more survivors. Let's get to them," Sawa-chan said as she exited the classroom. Angel stuffed her medical kit back into her backpack and followed her.

"Rest in peace, Nakanishi-san," Fixer whispered. Mio and I watched him as he shut the eyes of Toshimi Nakanishi and stood up. He bowed over the three bodies and looked at us, "Let's go, girls."

"Right…" I said as we followed Fixer, "Did you know Toshimi, Mio?"

"Y-yeah… she's… was in my class," Mio said to me. I wrapped my arm around her as we walked.

"Everything's going to be fine, Mio," I said as we exited the classroom. Mio and I got back into our positions in the middle of the group and moved forward, with Sawa-chan, Fixer, and Nitro leading.

"She said the Light Music Club's room, Captain," Fixer said, "The room where we picked up Huskbait and the other girls?"

"Please don't call me that…" I muttered, Fixer looked at me and shrugged.

"Yes, that room, Fixer," Sawa-chan answered him. He nodded and continued to search the hallways, "It should be the staircase here, then two floors up."

"Do we have to check every floor?" I asked Sawa-chan. She looked at me and shook her head.

"As long as we cover the staircases, it'll be a safe passage to the clubroom," she said. I frowned at her.

"What if there are other survivors?" I asked. Sawa-chan frowned back at me and hesitated for a while.

"I don't exactly have the resources to conduct a full sweep of the school, Ricchan," she finally said and sighed, "And we don't exactly have a plan of getting out of here. I have to put my troopers to guarding and securing things we need."

"Like what?" I asked. Sawa-chan groaned and faced me again.

"Guarding you and everyone else, Ricchan," Sawa-chan said. I looked at her and pouted, "Fine, I'll send out Fixer and Ox every couple of hours so they can clear the school."

"Good," I said, feeling victorious.

"So, uh… quick question," Jester said from behind, "Where are all the Runners that did this?"

"Comet would have told you to shut up," Fixer said.

"Eh?" Jester asked. "What do you mean?"

"Quote, 'because, asshole, whenever someone asks that, the monsters or whatever the hell they're against shows up and kills 'em all!'" Fixer said. We came to a stop at another set of stairs.

"Up, go, go," Sawa-chan said. Fixer and Nitro led the way up, "Quick jog up the stairs and we'll be up at the clubroom. Move it!" she ordered. Mio and I jogged up the stairs as and followed Sawa-chan.

"Nitro, Fixer, floodlights off," Sawa-chan ordered. Her troopers followed her command and the light in front of us vanished. Mio's grip on my hand tightened in fear. I faintly whimpered at the pain my own friend was causing me.

"It's gonna be okay, Mio…" my voice strained as I felt Mio loosen her grip on my hand. I sighed with relief and looked up ahead at Sawa-chan.

"Quiet, we're here," Sawa-chan shushed us. We stood at the bottom of the second staircase as Sawa-chan ushered for Fixer and Nitro to move up towards her. They did so while Ox, Angel, and Jester watched the first staircase.

"Could it be Runners or maybe the survivors?" Mio asked me. I shrugged and leaned against the wall.

"Probably the survivors, I've never seen a Runner lock itself in a room before," I said to her. I looked at Mio as she leaned against the wall next to me and saw a grief look on her face, "Hey, uh… you got something on your uniform," I said to her with a faint smirk curved on my lips.

Mio's face turned into something I haven't seen since this whole thing started. She actually smiled, but to my dismay, as soon as she smiled, it quickly vanished as if it was never there.

"With everything that's happened today, Mio…" I said, "I hope this is a dream and I'll wake up soon."

"Same here, Ritsu…" she said, "I still can't believe _they're _gone…" she referred to her parents. I looked at Mio and saw tears form in her eyes. I put my hand on her shoulder and she looked at me.

"It's okay, Mio… I'm here," I said as she wiped the tears away with her bloodied and dirtied sleeve of her torn blazer.

"Thank you, Ritsu…" she sniffled. I looked at her and grinned, although it was a fake one. It may be bad to think, but the more this thing goes on, the more I'm starting to get adjusted to this situation. I'm not going to lie, but it's become easier to see dead bodies lately. I feel like I've outgrown the disgusting image of a dismembered one, unless it's of someone I knew.

"Body," Fixer said. I looked up and saw him checking a dead body at the top of the staircase, slumped up against the double doors. It had the armor of an ASC trooper on, with other bodies lying down next to it. Those were bodies of dead Runners. "Tsuboi 'Klein' Ryōtaro," he said as he snatched a dog tag from Klein's neck.

"Positions," Sawa-chan said. Nitro and Fixer aimed their M22 Assault Rifles at the double doors that led to the Light Music Club room as Sawa-chan knocked on it. I heard some voices behind the doors as they spoke.

"Who's… who's there?" a soft voice asked behind the door. At first, the voice reminded me of Mugi, but then I realized that she had already left earlier.

"Sawako Yamanaka, I'm a teacher here at Sakuragaoka," Sawa-chan said in a polite voice, "We're here to help you."

"_We_?" a new voice behind the door asked. This voice sounded a bit frantic and cautious, "Yamanaka-sensei, I know who you are, but who are you with?"

"A couple other students," Sawa-chan answered the second voice, "And a few ASC troopers."

"Oh, just let her in," a third voice demanded, "Move the stuff," the girl said. Behind the door there were some sounds of things moving around the room before the lock clicked. The door opened. Mio and I rushed up the stairs and stood behind Sawa-chan.

Revealed to us was a girl both Mio and I knew, Himeko Tachibana, she was in our first-year class last year and was known to be the one of the most popular girls in our year. Himeko is a girl everyone knows and that everyone wants to be, but Himeko hates the attention. She's in the softball club and is actually one of the star players on the team. Her hair is long and light brown and her eyes are of the same color. She had an H45 Pistol in her hands and had it pointed at Fixer.

"Whoa, whoa…" Fixer said as he put down his M22, while Sawa-chan holstered her H45. Nitro had his M22 pointed at Himeko and looked at Sawa-chan. She nodded her head and Nitro put his weapon down.

Himeko had it pointed at Fixer and studied him for a few moments before looking down at the body of Klein. Her eyes widened and her grip loosened on the H45. Fixer saw the opportunity and snatched it from the girl's hands. She gasped at what Fixer had done.

"It's okay, Tachibana-san," Sawa-chan said. The girl looked at Sawa-chan with a questioning look and a raised brow.

"Who are you?" she asked. I grinned and Sawa-chan frowned. Himeko looked at Sawa-chan and gasped, "Yamanaka-sensei?"

"Yes, it's me, Tachibana-san," Sawa-chan said. Himeko looked at me and Mio and smirked.

"Come on in," she said as she stood aside. Sawa-chan, Fixer, and Nitro walked in and Mio and I followed. The lighting was different than before, since it was still dark in the room, but there was dim light coming from candles that were placed in corners of the clubroom. I looked to see who else was in there and found two familiar faces sitting on the couch.

There was Akane Satō, a girl in our year. She was part of the volleyball club at Sakuragaoka and was friends with almost everyone in the school. She is quiet and only talks to her close friends and people who start conversations with her first. Akane was like another Mio, except she doesn't hit her friends. Her hair is black and they're tied into two ponytails that rest on her shoulders and her eyes are of a grey color, like Mio's.

Next was Eri Taki, Akane's best friend and also a member of the volleyball club. Unlike Akane, Eri was very energetic and friendly, often being called the 'Ritsu of the volleyball club' for her resemblance towards me. She is a friend of mine and I sometimes team up with her to tease both Mio and Akane. Her hair is dark brown and tied into a ponytail on the left side of her head and her eyes are of a brown color.

"Yo, Ricchan, Akiyama-san," Eri waved to me. I looked at the brunette and waved back. I examined all three of the girls that were in here and saw that, just like me and Mio, they were covered in blood and had tears in their uniforms. I studied Eri and saw that she was covering her right leg with a white towel.

"I'm so glad to see that you're alive," Akane smiled, but a fake one. Through the horrors everyone faced today, nobody could smile a real smile. And this was just day one. Akane moved Eri's hand away and I saw a bloodstain on the towel. Akane quickly covered the towel with her own hand and I could tell she was applying pressure to Eri's leg since Eri's face strained.

"It's good to see you guys too," I said to them. I looked at Mio as she set her guitar case against the wall in its usual spot, but I noticed that there was a second guitar case slumped against the wall.

"Come on," Eri said as she moved over a little, pushing Akane along the way. She patted the empty seats on the couch next to her, "Take a seat, guys."

Mio and I did so and sat down on the couch next to Eri and Akane. Eri continued to try to hide her leg from us. I looked at the door to see Angel, Jester, and Ox enter, with each of them pointing their weapons into the darkness that was the hallways.

I watched as Himeko closed the double doors and locked them, with Fixer covering her. I looked as she moved the table that we used to sit at every day and prompted it against the door so no one could push it open. I looked on as Himeko, with the help of Fixer, stacked the amps and other things on top of the table so it would be barricaded even more.

"Sorry about that, Tainaka-san, Akaiyama-san…" she said as she and Fixer finished the barricade, "We used your amps and other things to create a way to block anything from getting in here," she bowed.

"It's fine…" I waved it off as Sawa-chan walked up to Himeko. Sawa-chan holstered her H45 and Fixer put the H45 he confiscated from Himeko on the table.

"Who else is with you, Tachibana-san?" Sawa-chan asked. Himeko looked away at first, but then looked at our brunette teacher.

"It's just us 4, sensei," Himeko said as she brushed her hair back, "There were more of us… but…"

"They're all in the hallways, aren't they?" Fixer asked. Himeko nodded her head, "I'm sorry."

"Could you tell me what happened to the evacuation, Tachibana-san?" Sawa-chan asked her, "How did the Runners quickly break through?"

"It all happened so fast, sensei…" she said as she sat down on the couch next to Akane and Eri, "We were about to board that spaceship-thingy-"

"Cranes," I corrected her. She looked at me, then back at Sawa-chan.

"Yes, we were about to board a Crane until we were told to wait for the next one," Himeko said, "A trooper known as Lucky brought us into the gym, where a bunch of other people were, both troopers and students of Sakuragaoka."

"Why did they tell you to wait?" Sawa-chan asked her.

"Apparently they had some 'high priority' individuals they had to rescue," Himeko stated, "There were around 40 of us at the time. We were told to go back into the main school building. Runners broke through the main doors before the troopers could barricade them."

"That's when the _virus _was released into the building. That's when everyone was massacred…" Eri spoke up, I looked at the brunette and she groaned, "And that's how I got injured."

"It's when we also lost the others…" Akane added in her soft voice. I looked at the girl with double ponytails and I saw her holding a white towel over Eri's leg. It was bloodstained.

"During the battle in the hallways, a first-year found us three and the rest of the volleyball club members hiding in a classroom behind a makeshift barricade of desks," Eri said, "We followed the first-year and the four of us found Klein, a trooper that sacrificed himself for us when the Runners got too close. His body's outside. The first-year led us here."

"Behind a barricade of desks?" Fixer asked. I looked at him and he continued, "We just came from there. That's how we knew how to find you."

"Are the others okay?!" Akane asked, she stood up and walked towards Fixer, "Please, are they okay?"

"Akane… if they were fine… wouldn't they be with them?" Eri asked her friend with a stern tone in her voice. Akane looked at Eri, then back at Fixer with tears strolling down her face.

"Are they… dead?" she asked. Fixer nodded and Akane slumped down to the ground, sobbing. Fixer kneeled down next to Akane in an effort to comfort her. Akane continued sobbing as Fixer looked up at Sawa-chan.

I looked at Eri as her face saddened at the news of her club members.

"Why didn't they go with you guys in the first place?" I asked Eri. She looked at me and sniffled.

"They didn't trust the first-year," she replied, "They thought she would bring us to our deaths. So they told me and Akane that they would stay in the classroom and find us when they get rescued."

"Who was the first-year who led you three here?" I asked them. Himeko looked at me, then pointed to the storage closet as a girl stepped out.

"Her."

"Sawako-sensei?" the girl that just came out from the storage closet asked. I stood behind Sawa-chan and looked at the girl. Her black pigtails and orange-tinted brown eyes made me feel both relieved, yet angry at the same time. She looked at me and a small smile appeared on her face. "Ritsu-senpai, Mio-senpai… you're safe."

"Azusa? What are you doing here?" I asked her.

* * *

**Amber Skies**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**- **Dun da dun! Azusa didn't leave? Why the hell didn't she leave?! If Azusa's alone, then where are Yui and Mugi at? Oh no, a crisis in a crisis! It's a… I don't even know the word.

**- **Introducing the softball princess, Himeko Tachibana! Also with her are the volleyball club pros, Akane Satō and Eri Taki! Welcome them to the survivors of Amber Skies!

**- **More ASC troopers! Just to fill in the void that Comet provided in the first chapter… don't worry, there'll be less of them in the next chapter… teehee. WARNING: more deaths to come!

**- **Next chapter won't be told in the eyes of Ricchan, but instead, a lost airheaded guitarist as she tries to find her friends.

**- **I feel like I'm drifting this into a kind of zombie apocalypse thing. Let me tell you guys what Harvester Runners are: Runners are reanimated and mutated corpses of dead humans, but some are artificially made through cybernetic engineering by another type of Harvester. Yes, there are different types, but I've only introduced Runners. (Wow, they're basically cyber zombies or something. Eh.)

**- **This is the second chapter of the first arc. This arc's plot has something to do with the girls as they try to find one each other and try to get out of Osaka alive.

**- **Reviews are appreciated, so review away!

**- **I'll see you all next time through the eyes of Yui! Stay awesome and stay beautiful!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes**

**- **Welcome to chapter 3! Hope you guys enjoy! Yui will be telling the story this time. Just to let you guys that know of my other K-On! Fic, _Touched by an Angel!_, you're in for good news! I've been going back into the current chapters of TBAA and I've been fixing them, I've also resumed progress on Chapter 6, so stay tuned for that! Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review of what you think!

* * *

**Amber Skies**

**Chapter 3 – A Reality Check**

* * *

"_We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will."__ – Chuck Palanuik_

* * *

"I wish I could talk to Azunyan right now…" I sighed as I checked through my phone. I looked through my recent calls and found five outward calls to Mio-chan, Ricchan, Ui, Nodoka-chan, and Azunyan. Ui and Nodoka-chan were the only ones who picked up and they told me that they're both safe together and with Jun-chan. I sighed again and clicked on Ricchan's name and dialed her number. I placed the phone against my ear and heard the ringing.

A few seconds later, a ringing that indicated no service rang in my ears. I looked back at my phone and saw that there was a _'no connection' _indicator on the top of the screen. I turned my phone off and put it back in my blazers pockets.

"No luck, Yui-chan?" someone asked me. I looked to my left and found my friend, Tsumugi Kotobuki, sitting next to me as we sat against the wall. I looked at her and frowned.

"Nope, not even Ricchan," I told her. She frowned as well and nodded.

"Well, we can always try again later, right?" she said, "I'm sure Ricchan and Mio-chan are doing just fine. Azusa-chan too."

"Azunyan…" I murmured. Mugi-chan looked at me and put her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and my brown eyes met with her blue eyes. Her blonde hair was covered in blood and her uniform had a few blood stains on it. Luckily, none of the blood was hers.

"She's a natural-born leader, Yui-chan," she told me, "I'm positive Azusa-chan is doing her best right now. And hey, maybe she's leading some unfortunate others to safety as well."

That brought a smile to my face as I thought of Azunyan. I don't know how, but we got separated from her earlier when Lucky-kun led us here, to the Osaka Eastern District Mall. Together with Lucky-kun, two other Alliance Space Command troopers joined us, Whiplash-kun and Hotshot-kun. We had to go here because Sakuragaoka High School was overrun with those people they called 'Runners'. Once we arrived here, we took refuge in a small shopping outlet.

"What about you, Mugi-chan?" I asked my blonde friend, "Have you heard from anyone? What about your parents?"

"I think my parents are okay," she replied, "My family is currently in Finland for a vacation. Father has an important business meeting in Sweden, so he and mother decided why not stay in Finland for a while."

"I see…" I said. I felt happy for Mugi-chan, since she has something good to talk about. Throughout this whole day, the only stuff I've been hearing were things like 'position overrun!' or 'Runners have broken through!' honestly, I was getting tired of hearing those things.

"What about your parents, Yui-chan?" she asked, "I know your parents aren't in Japan either. When was the last time you heard from them?"

"My parents…" I pondered at what my parents would be doing right now and I imagined my mom and dad happily skipping down the Champs-Élysées, hand in hand. I smiled at the thought of them being safe. And, yes, I know what the Champs-Élysées is.

"Aux Champs-Élysées…" Mugi-chan sang in a soft French voice. I looked at her and blinked. She smiled the same warm smile she had every day and giggled. I was always amazed at how much of a psychic Mugi-chan is.

"The last time I heard from my parents was a few weeks ago, when they called Ui and told her that they're going to be in France for a little while longer before heading to Ireland," I told her, "I didn't get to speak to them at the time since I was still practicing at school."

"Oh…" Mugi-chan said and sighed. She scooted a little closer to me.

I thought about my parents more and I saw visions of my mom sitting in the corner, kicking and screaming as my dad fought off those _things _I saw today. I saw my dad getting overrun by _them _as my mother watched in fear. I looked as both my mom and dad were torn apart–No! No! Bad thoughts! Stop it, Yui… don't think about that… you shouldn't.

"Bad thoughts…" I whispered. Mugi-chan tapped my shoulder and I looked at her. She put her hand on my shoulder as the thoughts disappeared.

"Don't think about the bad things, Yui-chan…" she said as she brought me in closer for a hug, "Just think about all the… all the cake that you'll get to eat when we get out of this!"

"Cake…" I said, feeling relaxed as Mugi embraced me. A few seconds later, she let go of me and both of us slumped against the wall. I heard footsteps approach us and I looked to my right and found Gīta sitting against the wall with us. I looked past Gīta and saw Lucky-kun turn the corner.

"Hey, guys…" Lucky-kun waved as he hovered over us, "Did you two manage to get into contact with anyone?"

"Not with everyone, but we managed to find out some of our friends are safe," I told him. He nodded at me, "Did Sawa-chan answer?"

"Nope, she didn't," Lucky-kun sighed, "It looks like only local communications are working at the moment. Hopefully when we leave this department store, communications will be back online."

"Are we going to leave now?" Mugi-chan asked. Lucky-kun shook his head.

"It's night time. I'm afraid it'll be too dangerous, even for the rest of us," he said in a sad tone, "We'll head out once it's morning."

"Is there anything we can do until then?" I asked him. He looked around and realized that we're in a clothing store. Another set of footsteps approached us.

"Other than trying on clothes and resting, I'm afraid not," a new voice said. I looked up and saw Hotshot-kun standing next to Lucky-kun. Lucky-kun looked at Hotshot-kun as he studied both me and Mugi-chan.

"You guys can use my wrist-pad and watch some stuff on TV," a third voice said. I looked behind Hotshot-kun and Lucky-kun and found Whiplash-kun.

"Why would you be giving them military equipment?" Hotshot-kun asked as Whiplash-kun took his wrist-pad off his armor and handed it over to me. I took it and looked down at my phone. It looks exactly like my _iGo _phone!

"Oh, don't ruin the fun, Hotshot," Whiplash-kun said to him. Hotshot-kun groaned and folded his arms while I handed the wrist-pad to Mugi-chan, who began looking for the local Osaka News network.

Hotshot-kun and Whiplash-kun. From the short time I've known them; I've found the two to be complete opposites. For starters, Hotshot-kun would always be angry and rude, while Whiplash-kun is very nice and caring. On an appearance note, Hotshot-kun had red stripes on his armor and Whiplash-kun had blue stripes on his, even their colors are opposites. They were always bumping heads, often arguing about their own opinions, which were always the opposite of the other.

"How the hell did we even get into this?" Hotshot-kun asked. Whiplash-kun looked at him and sighed.

"You don't have to be so rude, Hotshot," he scolded his friend, "Our new job is to protect these girls. Whether you like it or not."

"Nope. Hate it," Hotshot-kun instantly replied.

"Think about what Captain Rex would want," Whiplash-kun said. Hotshot-kun looked at him and scoffed.

"I don't really think about what the dead desire, Whiplash," he said. What Hotshot-kun said attracted all of our attention as Whiplash-kun shoved Hotshot-kun back. Lucky-kun intervened and got in between the two as they began to yell at one another.

"You think you can just say whatever you want, huh?!" Whiplash-kun's voice changed into something I've never heard before.

"I think I can! You wanna know why?! Because we're all going to die!" Hotshot-kun shot back. That brought Whiplash-kun back and silenced him. Lucky-kun seized the opportunity and dragged both of them with him to the other side of clothing store.

"Reminds me of Mio-chan and Ricchan," Mugi-chan said. I turned to her and raised an eyebrow at her, "Except Hotshot and Whiplash are more violent."

"Yeah," I said. I remember Mio-chan and Ricchan and I wondered what they were doing right now.

"Look, Yui-chan," Mugi-chan nudged me. I leaned in closer and saw that she was watching something on Whiplash-kun's wrist-pad.

"_The situation is under control, everyone," _the reporter said, _"Just follow the orders of the Alliance Space Command and everything will be fine. If you do not wish to listen to them, stay indoors and keep your doors locked. Repeat: the situation is under control, everyone."_

"It's just a recording…" Mugi-chan said as she exited the broadcast. I looked back over at Gīta.

"I want to play Gīta so badly, Mugi-chan…" I sighed as I kept my eyes on Gīta.

"Why don't you, Yui-chan?" she asked me. I pouted at Mugi-chan.

"I mean, like actually _play _him. With spirit, y'know?" I told her.

"Ah, I see…" she said, "Don't worry, Yui-chan. Everything will go back to normal in no time."

"But when?"

"I have no idea, but let's be patient and stay optimistic, okay?"

"Okay," I said as I watched Mugi-chan use Whiplash-kun's wrist-pad. An alert icon popped on the right corner of the screen. Mugi-chan looked around, and then pressed it. It brought the screen to a chat room, where there were a few other people in the chat.

_How's the battle in space going? – Grinch_

_Pretty bad. Harvesters hit us and blew a hole in the defensive lines, that's how they got down to Earth. We're still trying to fix the situation by contacting the Fourth and Sixth fleet of the Japanese Flotilla. We're on a limb here with only the European and American Flotillas. It's getting pretty brutal. – Jinx_

_Jesus Christ. Sounds like it's worse up there than it is down here. – Grinch_

_So what's the news in Osaka? – Jinx_

_Completely overrun. Forces are scattered and I'm afraid Captain Rex and his battalion have been wiped out. No word from Captain Yamanaka, communications with her are down. What about the rest of the Earth? – Grinch_

_Russia's gone dark. China and the Philippines have lost at least half of their territory to the Harvesters. The United States is holding while Europe's lost a majority of their population. Japan is close to going dark. There are only a few places in Japan where someone can communicate with us. Rumors are spreading that even Tokyo fell. – Jinx_

_I also heard there's something else besides the Runners, a new type of Harvester. – Grinch_

_Yeah. I'm getting rumors of that too. They call them 'Stalkers', apparently they like to wait in the dark and pounce at anyone. Considering we're 16 hours ahead of the Western seaboard, the Stalkers have only shown activity in China and some parts of Japan. – Jinx_

Mugi-chan and I cringed at the chat and she closed it. I looked at her and she had a sad look on her face. She looked at me and she blinked. I heard yelling from outside and realized it wasn't the voices of the troopers that were with us.

"_HRAAAAARGH!" _a loud shriek pierced my ears and I covered them. I looked at Mugi-chan did the same. It wasn't the same sound that we heard earlier, it was something new.

"What was that?" Mugi-chan asked once the screeching stopped. I looked at her with a frightened look as I heard the sound of thundering footsteps approach us. I stood up and grabbed Gīta and my schoolbag, slinging both of them over my shoulder. Mugi-chan did the same with her own schoolbag.

"I don't know, Mugi-chan," I said. I checked my phone for the time and found that it was 9:41 PM.

I turned around and saw Whiplash-kun and Lucky-kun, both of them had their weapons at the ready. Whiplash-kun asked for his wrist-pad and Mugi-chan tossed it over to him. He thanked her and the two of them led me and Mugi-chan to the entrance, which we barricaded with boxes upon our arrival. I saw Hotshot-kun hard at work as he moved the boxes aside.

"I could use some help!" he yelled. Whiplash-kun and Lucky-kun helped Hotshot-kun move the bigger boxes while Mugi-chan and I moved the smaller ones. In a minute, the door was clear and the three troopers burst out of the department store. They ushered for me and Mugi-chan to stay inside.

Lucky-kun and the other troopers took position in-front of the department store, checking the front, left, and right. I saw that there was lighting in only some parts of the mall, not like inside the store, where the ceiling lights still worked.

"Help us!" a girls' voice yelled. I looked ahead and saw a girl and a few other girls running towards the department store. Behind them was an Alliance Space Command trooper, firing his weapon into the darkness. I recognized the girl who was crying for help to be Yōko Sasaki, a girl who's in my class and someone I've known since my first-year at Sakuragaoka High School. Her long green hair that was braided into two pigtails were traits that gave away who she was.

"Move it! Get in here!" Whiplash-kun ordered her as she ran into the department store. She was followed by another girl that was a brunette with her hair tied into a ponytail and glasses. Mugi-chan greeted the two of them while I watched as the two other girls and the Alliance Space Command trooper ran for their lives to make it into the store.

"_AAAHHHHH!" _the screech arose again. I watched as something emerged from the darkness and lunged at the trooper and tackled him to the ground. The darkness sucked him in and all I could hear was faint screaming.

"What the hell?" Hotshot-kun asked, his weapon still pointed at the darkness as the two girls screamed while they ran, "Did you guys see that?"

"Stalkers…" Whiplash-kun muttered. Hotshot-kun shot him a glare before the screech arose again, "Hurry!" Whiplash-kun yelled at the two girls as they were close to reaching them.

"_AAARRGH!" _

I watched as two other _things _lunged out of the dark and tackled the other two girls, they screamed and tried to break free, but to no avail. Lucky-kun fired his weapon towards the darkness as it engulfed the two girls. In a moment, the screaming came to a stop and the three troopers just stood out in the open, with only a dim light from above being the only way we could see them.

In a flash, something was thrown out from the darkness and landed in the center of the three troopers. I looked down and I saw the arm of a schoolgirl. I could tell she was a schoolgirl that attended Sakuragaoka High School because of the distinctive navy blue long-sleeve that was still wrapped around the arm. I could hear growling and snarling in the dark.

"Floodlights!" Whiplash-kun ordered. The three of them turned on their lights and checked the area of darkness. Lucky-kun's lights found something. It looked the same as the Runners from earlier, except it had a hoodie pulled over its face. It hissed towards the light and scurried away. The lighting above Lucky-kun, Whiplash-kun, and Hotshot-kun flickered as it was about to die out.

"Get inside!" Whiplash-kun yelled. He covered Hotshot-kun and Lucky-kun as they ran back inside. Whiplash-kun slowly backed into the department store and closed the doors. Hotshot-kun and Lucky-kun got to work restacking the boxes as a barricade. Me and Mugi-chan moved up and helped them restack with the smaller boxes. I looked back at Yōko and saw her and the other girl panting, trying to catch their breaths.

The lighting that was above the three troopers died out and the mall was shrouded with darkness, besides the store we were in and some other parts of the mall that had working light posts.

"Those weren't Runners…" Lucky-kun sighed as we finished the barricade. He put his M22 on his back and took off his helmet, revealing his bald head and the four-leaf clover tattoo that was on his cheek. He walked over to the counter and set his helmet down on it.

"Do you know what they are, Whiplash?" Hotshot-kun asked. He sat his M22 down on the ground took off his own helmet and held it in his hands. His hair was a black buzz-cut with no facial features except a small scar under his right eye, "You look like you know what we're up against here."

Whiplash-kun looked at his two fellow troopers and sighed as he placed his M22 on his back and took off his own helmet. His hair was tied into a small black ponytail. He looked at me and Mugi and frowned.

"They call them Stalkers," he finally said as he tapped on his wrist-pad, "I'm sending you two the information on the Stalkers."

A few moments passed and Lucky-kun's eyes widened as he checked on his own wrist-pad. Hotshot-kun checked his own as well, but instead his face fumed with anger. He gritted his teeth and he looked at Whiplash.

"You could have told us about this!" he yelled as he put on his helmet, which shifted his voice into a more of a robotic sound, "We were going to get killed by those things!"

"They were just rumors! How was I supposed to know they were real?!" Whiplash-kun shot back. I looked at Mugi-chan, Yōko, and the brunette that came in with her. The two of them finally caught their breaths and were now watching Whiplash-kun and Hotshot-kun with curiosity.

"Do you two want to stay here and watch them?" I asked the two of them. They looked at me, blinked, and then shook their heads. I looked at Whiplash-kun as he and the other two were arguing about those _things _that we just saw.

"Come on," Mugi-chan said as she led the way, "We can go back to the wall and rest," I followed after Mugi-chan and the two girls followed behind us.

"I'm Yui Hirasawa," I said to them as we walked. Yōko nodded and smiled at me while the other brunette smiled as well. She looked at Mugi-chan and me and nodded.

"I'm Yōko Sasaki," Yōko said. I looked at her as she played with one of her pigtails of her braided green hair. She looked at the brunette and ushered for her to introduce herself.

"I'm Toshimi Shibaya," she told us. I nodded approvingly to her and the smile stayed on her face. Mugi-chan looked at her and politely smiled.

"I'm Tsumugi Kotobuki," she said. Yōko's eyes widened at the two of us and she gasped.

"Aren't you two in Houkago Tea Time?!" she squealed. I exchanged looks with Mugi-chan and we both giggled at the thought of a fan in this kind of situation.

"Yup!" I said to Yōko. Her bloodied face lightened up with glee as she jumped up and down.

"I am such a huge fan!" she said, "Akiyama-san is just the best! I really loved your performance at last year's school festival!"

"You mean the one where Mio-chan fell and…"

"Yes! The _pantsu_!" Yōko cut Mugi-chan off. Mugi-chan awkwardly smiled as Yōko continued, "She looked so adorable with the white and blue striped panties! Just adorable."

"I see…" Mugi-chan said, "Well it's always nice to meet a fan of Houkago Tea Time, especially one of Mio-chan's adorers."

"Oh, not just me! Toshimi too! Tell them, Toshimi!" Yōko said as she presented Toshimi to us.

"I can't believe it…" Toshimi muttered. Yōko looked at her and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Can't believe we're in the presence of Houkago Tea Time's guitarist and keyboardist?" Yōko asked her. Toshimi shook her head and looked at Yōko. Behind her oval, rimless glasses, her brown eyes were bloodshot and her face looked pale.

"I can't believe who we lost…" she said as she coughed. The way she coughed made me flinch, since it sounded so animalistic, "We lost Tsukasa and Nobuyo on our way here… didn't you notice?"

"Yes, I did…" Yōko said to her, "We lost so many people today, but we're safe now, Toshimi."

"They could have made it… they could have made it in here with us, Yōko!" Toshimi said as we came to a stop, "But no! Even though Nobuyo is in the basketball club, she was still too fat to be fast enough! Tsukasa? Tsukasa's tiny legs couldn't even save her…"

"How could you say that about our friends, Toshimi?" Yōko gasped at her friends rude comments. I actually knew Nobuyo, and she was a pretty cool person. Mugi-chan and I exchanged glances before watching the other two continue.

"Because it's the truth!" Toshimi yelled, "Our friends could be alive right now if they didn't have to be so damn out-of-shape! This is Judgment Day, Yōko! It's where the phrase 'survival of the fittest' accounts to!"

"Survival of the fittest? Toshimi, you're not making any sense," Yōko said. Toshimi ignored Yōko and she walked ahead of us while the three of us watched her.

"I can't… I can't take it anymore…" Toshimi said as she turned her back towards us. Yōko slowly walked up to her in an effort to calm her friend down. Toshimi pulled something out of her blazers pockets and turned around. She revealed to us that she carried an H45 Pistol and had it aimed at Yōko's face.

"Toshimi…" Yōko was stunned at Toshimi's actions and couldn't let any other words escape from her mouth. I looked at Mugi and the two of us walked towards them.

"Don't get any closer! Hirasawa-san, Kotobuki-san!" she ordered as her H45 turned in our direction. I raised my hands in the air and me and Mugi backed away. Her aim repositioned towards Yōko and Yōko flinched at her actions.

"Toshimi, please…" Yōko pleaded, "Put the gun down…"

"I have nothing to live for anymore, Yōko!" Toshimi yelled, "My family's dead! My home is gone! This whole world is turning into shit! What reasons do I have to stay alive?!" she laughed maniacally. Her twisted laugh sent shivers up my body and I cringed.

"You have me, Toshimi…" Yōko replied to her, "I'm your friend… I'm your best friend, Toshimi! We can get through this together!"

For a second, Toshimi slowly put down her H45 and seemed to be calm. Then the crazy smile appeared on her face once more and she aimed it again at Yōko, "I have no friends…"

"Toshimi–no!"

_***BAM***_

I heard Mugi-chan screaming. I closed my eyes at the gunfire and opened them to see Yōko lying on the floor of the department store, a gunshot wound to her right shoulder. She looked asleep, she must've fainted due to the shock. There was blood oozing out of her shoulder and a puddle of blood began to form on the rug under her. I looked up at Toshimi and I saw her aim the H45 at me and Mugi. Her crazy laugh arose in the room as I heard the footsteps of the ASC troopers coming towards us.

"Your turn…" she said as her H45 pointed at me.

"No!" I heard Mugi-chan yell. I closed my eyes and prepared for the coming pain that would be the gunshot.

_***BANG***_

I felt my body and there was no pain. I opened my eyes and saw Mugi-chan standing in-front of me, holding her stomach. She fell to her knees and onto the ground. I kneeled down next to Mugi-chan and moved her hand to see a hole in her stomach where blood was oozing out.

"MUGI-CHAN!" I screamed as the footsteps got closer. I looked up at Toshimi and the twisted smile disappeared from her face and her normal look returned. She looked around and saw the damage she had caused and began to tear up.

"There's no use for me anymore…" Toshimi muttered as she pointed the H45 to her own head. I gasped and ran towards her in order to save her from killing herself, but…

_***BANG***_

I flinched and stopped in my tracks. I felt warm liquid splatter all over me and opened my eyes to see Toshimi lying on the floor, with a soft look on her face. I ran back over to Mugi-chan and she began coughing out blood.

"Yui… Yui-chan…" she said in between labored breaths. I brushed her blonde hair aside as blood rolled down from her mouth, "Sorry… I had no choice… you were going to get shot…"

"Mugi-chan! Why?!" I yelled at her as I felt tears roll down my face. Tears rolled down Mugi-chan's face and she gulped. She gasped and her breathing became heavy.

"Please forgive me…" she whispered.

"Stay with me, Mugi-chan! Please! Don't leave!" I shouted as my tears began to well up my vision. I wiped away the tears with my blazers sleeve and shook Mugi-chan so she would stay awake. I can't let her closer her eyes for more than a few seconds or she'll be gone…

"Kotobuki-san! Hirasawa-san!" Hotshot-kun's voice sounded in my ears. Their footsteps sounded behind me, "Shit! Kotobuki-san's hit! She's been hit! The other girl is down!"

"Kotobuki-san!" Lucky-kun shouted as he kneeled next to me and looked at Mugi-chan. He examined Mugi-chan's wound and grabbed a t-shirt from one of the piles of clothing and applied pressure to Mugi-chan's wound. Mugi-chan opened her eyes and squealed at the pain and I tried to calm her down.

"Mugi-chan!" I yelped.

"It… it hurts…" she strained.

"Whiplash! Get over there!" Hotshot-kun ordered him as he tended to Yōko. I saw that before he tended to Yōko, he grabbed the H45 Pistol that was next to Toshimi's corpse and holstered it.

"What's the situation, Lucky?" Whiplash-kun asked as he kneeled next to the two of us and dug through his medical kit.

"Massive blood loss. Bullet struck her in the stomach. It missed the aorta," Lucky-kun said. I looked at him for a confirmation about Mugi and all he did was sigh. I sniffled and looked down at Mugi-chan as she closed one of her eyes and breathed.

"Did the bullet go through?" Whiplash-kun asked. Lucky-kun shook his head and Whiplash-kun swore, "We'll have to pull the bullet out."

"Right," Lucky-kun nodded as he continued applying pressure to Mugi-chan's wound. I looked at Whiplash-kun as he took out a syringe and filled it up with something labeled Anesthesia. He injected it into Mugi-chan's shoulder.

"Will she make it?" I asked him. He looked at me, cracked a smile, and nodded.

"She'll be just fine, Hirasawa-san," he replied. I felt relieved and looked down at Mugi-chan, whose eyes were now closed.

"Why is she asleep?" I asked.

"She's been injected with Anesthesia. It's something so she doesn't feel any pain while I remove the bullet from her stomach and patch her up," Whiplash-kun replied. I nodded and oohed at his comment. After I saw Whiplash-kun stand up while Lucky-kun continued applying pressure to Mugi-chan's wound, I sighed with relief.

"Shoulder wound," Hotshot-kun said as he got the bleeding from Yōko's wound to cease. Whiplash-kun kneeled next to Yōko and examined her.

"Wait, Whiplash-kun, why aren't you removing the bullet from Mugi-chan now?" I asked him as I walked up to the two and Yōko. He looked at me and grinned.

"I'm waiting for Kotobuki-san to stabilize and once the bleeding comes to a cease, I'll begin to remove the bullet," he replied, "I also don't want to risk the chance for infection, so she needs to rest a little. She'll be fine once I remove the bullet."

I nodded to him and he turned back to Hotshot-kun.

"What the hell even happened?" Hotshot-kun asked me. I looked at him and gulped.

"It was her…" I pointed at Toshimi Shibaya's dead body, "She shot… shot Yōko and then Mugi-chan… then she…"

"You don't need to go any further, Hirasawa-san," Lucky-kun said. I looked at him and saw his tattoo again. It made me shiver at how much bad luck there was right now. He smiled at me and the shivers went away.

"The question is how did she get the H45?" Whiplash-kun brought up.

"She could've gotten it from anywhere. I mean, if you just go outside and to Sakuragaoka High School, you can find a lot of weapons from the dead," Hotshot-kun said. All of us shot him a glare and he raised his hands, "Sorry."

"But why did she do what she did?" Lucky-kun asked.

"Acceptance of destruction," Hotshot-kun replied to him, "She has nothing else to live for. Her mind clicked to that and the impact of that drove her insane, to the point where she wanted to go down, and take someone else down with her."

"Jesus Christ…" Whiplash-kun muttered as he lifted Yōko up and looked at the bullet hole in her shoulder, "This whole situation seems like a dream."

"But it isn't," Hotshot-kun said with a sad tone in his voice, "I mean, it's been 100 years since these Harvester fucks went AWOL, and then they show up all of a sudden and try to destroy everything in their path."

"It really bothers me how today started off like a normal day…" Lucky-kun murmured to himself. I looked at him as he held the t-shirt to Mugi-chan's stomach as the t-shirt turned red from all the blood.

"How bad is it?" Hotshot-kun asked Whiplash-kun. He looked down at Whiplash-kun as he examined Yōko. He ripped open her blazer and unbuttoned her white undershirt, which revealed her green bra. He took off both pieces of clothing from Yōko and examined her shoulder.

"Missed an artery," Whiplash-kun announced a few minutes later, "The bullet went through. We just need to patch her up. I have some bandages in my kit."

"Got it," Hotshot-kun said as he took a roll of bandages from Whiplash-kun's kit. He looked at the roll and saw that there was only a little left, "Shit, Whiplash, there's only enough bandages to cover the girls shoulder wound. Not enough for Kotobuki-san."

"Really?" Whiplash-kun seemed surprised and looked at the roll, "Son of a bitch!"

"What did you use the rest for?" Lucky-kun asked as he was still on top of Mugi-chan, who was asleep.

"I think it was earlier on at Sakuragaoka High School, when I was treating this little girl who had severe cuts all over her body where she was close to dying from blood loss," Whiplash-kun said.

"You can still help Mugi-chan, right?!" I asked him, "Even without those bandages?"

"I don't have the proper tools to stitch up her stomach. I _need _the bandages to patch her up," he told me as he searched through his medical kit some more, "I only have tools to remove the bullet and clean the wound–oh shit."

"What now?" Hotshot-kun asked.

"I don't have anything to clean both wounds. If I don't get something like Sterile Saline or Betadine to clean their wounds, the wounds could get infected and both Kotobuki-san and this girl will die," Whiplash-kun said.

"Where can you get those at?" I instantly asked him.

"You can probably find them at your local pharmacy or store," Whiplash-kun said. I nodded and I thought where I could find those things he needed. An idea popped into my head as I remembered when we first arrived in the mall.

"There's a pharmacy near the entrance!" I told him, "I saw it when we arrived! It's just a few stores down!"

"Are you sure?" Lucky-kun asked. I looked at him and nodded, "I'll go."

"Go where?" Hotshot-kun asked as he finished wrapping bandages around Yōko's shoulder. He grabbed a huge t-shirt and placed it over Yōko as a kind of blanket.

"I'm going to go to that pharmacy," Lucky-kun said as he began to release the pressure on Mugi-chan, before he was stopped by Whiplash-kun.

"Don't move! We can't risk it! Keep the pressure on Kotobuki-san," he ordered him. Lucky-kun sighed and assumed his original position of applying pressure on Mugi-chan's stomach.

"Who's going to go, Whiplash? You can't because we need you here!" Lucky-kun said. He looked at Hotshot and the latter sighed.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Hotshot-kun groaned.

"We just can't let the two of them die," Lucky-kun stated, "I know there are Stalkers out there, but…"

"I guess maybe it's time to thin the herd," Hotshot-kun said. I glared at him and Whiplash-kun growled at Hotshot-kun.

"Maybe it's time for you to do your job! Listen to others for once!" Whiplash-kun yelled. This set Hotshot-kun to stagger back at what Whiplash-kun had just said, prompting the latter to continue, "All this time that I've been with you, from the academy to today, all you've done was disobey orders! And look where it's gotten you; look where it's going to get you! Two little girls who have their lives ahead of them are going to _die _because you're a douchebag!"

I saw the hate in Whiplash-kun's eyes as he kept his stare on Hotshot-kun, who stared back at him.

"Fine, I'll go," Hotshot-kun grunted. He looked at me and pulled his M22 off his back, "What do I grab?"

"Sterile Saline and maybe some Betadine, I need some bandages, and grab some pain killers, like Advil or Tylenol," Whiplash-kun said. Hotshot-kun nodded and I looked at Mugi-chan. This was practically my fault… I need to do something.

"W-wait…" I said to Hotshot-kun. He looked at me and tilted his head quizzically, "I… I want to go with you…"

"What? No!" He said to me, "I'm not going to be forced to watch your back when you can't even watch mine!"

"Please… Hotshot-kun… for Mugi-chan…" I pleaded, "I'm supposed to be the one laying there, not her."

"Whiplash? Lucky? Come on, knock some sense into her, please…" Hotshot-kun said as he looked at his companions. I looked at them as well and Whiplash-kun simply shrugged while Lucky-kun looked down at Mugi and avoided my eyes.

"It's up to her, really. Kid's got a point about taking responsibility for Kotobuki-san," Whiplash-kun stated.

"I don't know, Captain Yamanaka will be awfully pissed if I let Hirasawa-san go out there," Lucky-kun said, "I _was _tasked with making sure her and Kotobuki-san were both safe."

"Take a good look, Lucky," Hotshot-kun nodded to Mugi-chan, "You're already failing with her. Who knows? Maybe the kid can pull her own weight."

"I thought you wanted us to knock some sense into Hirasawa-san?" Whiplash-kun raised an eyebrow at Hotshot-kun, who swore.

"I just dug my own grave…" Hotshot-kun sighed and shook his head.

"I've also failed with Nakano-san…" Lucky-kun muttered. I looked at him and frowned.

"Azunyan will be fine, Lucky-kun! She's safe, I just know it!" I said to him. He looked up at me and cracked a smile.

"Heh, you're right, kid," he said, "I approve of letting you go. Just… be safe, you hear?"

I saluted him, "Yes, sir!"

"Carry the ammo, Hirasawa-san!" Hotshot-kun ordered me. I nodded and ran over to a small pile of magazines that had ammo in them and stuffed the magazines into my schoolbag. I left Gīta at the wall, where Lucky-kun and Mugi-chan were near. He would be safe under their watchful eyes.

"I'll get the door," Whiplash-kun said. He walked over and began pushing the stacks of boxes instead of removing them from the pile, in an effort to save time. He moved the boxes enough for one of the double-doors to open. He unlocked it and Hotshot-kun and I took a glance outside, to see a path of dim lighting under the arch.

"Maybe it is our lucky day," Hotshot-kun said as he pointed his M22 towards the darkness. He turned on his floodlights and looked around. He slowly walked out and onto the path of light as he kept his M22 armed. I followed him out as I clutched my schoolbag with the ammo in it.

"_HRAAAAARGH!" _the shriek echoed throughout the mall. I covered my ears and my face strained from the impact of the screech.

"Maybe not…" Hotshot-kun muttered. I looked behind us as the door closed and saw Whiplash moving the boxes back to its original spot.

"_I'll stay in contact with you through wrist-pad communication," _I heard Whiplash-kun's voice come from Hotshot's wrist-pad. I heard growling and snarling approaching from the dark and looked at Hotshot-kun, who aimed his M22 towards the growling.

"Negative on that, Whiplash. These things are attracted to the noise," he said, "Going to go dark for now. I'll tell you when you need to open the door."

"So it's just us two?" I asked Hotshot-kun. He nodded.

"Which way?" he asked.

"Uh…" I looked both ways, "This way! To the left! It's the way we came in."

"Got it, let's move," he said as he aimed his M22 towards the left and began walking. I followed after Hotshot-kun through the dim-lit path.

"Please grant me wings… on my back, like a bird…" I quietly sang as I followed Hotshot-kun through the dim-lit corridor. He looked back at me and gave me a confusing look.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he turned his attention back to the front. I sheepishly chuckled a little and rubbed the back of my head, not like he was noticing me at all.

"I'm singing, it's something I do when I'm frightened," I told him. He scoffed and shook his head, not even looking back at me.

"Well, do you mind keeping it down? From what I know, Stalkers are attracted to noise. And you're making a lot of noise," he said.

"Rude…" I muttered, "In this huge sky, I wanna spread my wings and fly…" I sang in the quietest tone I could. He shushed me and I sighed. I looked towards the dark and saw a light flickering on the other side of the corridor, where I could hear faint growling.

"How close are we, Yui-chan?" he asked me. I looked at him and smiled at the fact that he called me 'Yui-chan'. I cleared my throat.

"We're not far," I told him, "It should be one more store and we'll be right outside the entrance."

"Roger," he said. We walked onward under the protection of the dim light as I felt a dark presence growing stronger. I heard the growling and snarling intensify as I looked out into the darkness. I tapped Hotshot-kun's shoulder and he shined his floodlights into the darkness, where it revealed that several Stalkers were slowly following us, "Holy shit."

"We should keep moving, Hotshot-kun?" I offered as his floodlights shined into the bloodshot eyes of the Stalkers. One of them snarled at the light and backed way further into the darkness. I watched as the rest of the Stalkers backed away and growled.

"They seem to be more intelligent than the average Runner," Hotshot-kun said as the Stalkers disappeared into the dark, "As long as this light above us is on, we'll be fine. Same with my floodlights, every time you hear them getting closer, Yui-chan, tell me."

"Oaky, Hotshot-kun…" I said as we continued walking. I looked behind me and saw that the lights on the ceiling that we already passed had turned off or were beginning to die out. Hotshot-kun looked back and saw the same thing.

"Run for the pharmacy!" he yelled. I nodded and followed after Hotshot-kun as we began jogging down the path. I took a quick glance behind and saw that more of the lights were gone and all that was left was darkness behind us.

I heard shuffling through the mall as footsteps from the darkness were following us. I gulped and ignored the Stalkers presence as I continued following Hotshot-kun. We reached the end of the pathway and saw the pharmacy right in front of us, right where the path ended.

"Now this is lucky!" he chuckled as the other lights went out, leaving the only light left protecting us from the Stalkers. I looked at the entrance to the pharmacy and saw the door was a steel door.

"That looks heavy…" I said to Hotshot-kun. He gulped and nodded in agreement.

"I got it…" he said as he put his M22 on his back and dug his fingers underneath the steel door. He grunted as he began lifting the door up, eventually to a point where I could crawl underneath.

"The light!" I yelled as I pointed to the ceiling light. It began flickering, which meant that it was going to die very soon.

"Shit! Go, go!" I heard him yell as I slid under the door he was holding up. I stood up on the other side and took hold of the door. The weight of the door fell upon my arms as Hotshot-kun let go of the door.

"Come on, Hotshot-kun! Get under here, now! It's… it's too heavy!" I yelled back to him. I heard him scuffle around before he threw something underneath the door. I looked down and saw an H45 Pistol by my feet. The weight finally weakened my arms and I let go of the door, causing the steel to fall down to the ground, blocking the entrance between me and Hotshot-kun. I moved to the side and saw Hotshot-kun through the caged window.

"There's a reason why I had you carry the ammo, Yui-chan!" he yelled as I saw the light rapidly flick. I heard him pull his M22 off his back and he chuckled, "Grab the medicine! Save Kotobuki-san!"

"No! No! Wait, Hotshot-kun, we can lift this together!" I yelled as I moved back to the door and dug my fingers underneath it, preparing to lift it.

"Whiplash! I'm pinned down and I'm afraid I'm not going to make it!" I heard Hotshot-kun yell, presumably into his wrist-pad, "Yui-chan is all by herself, she'll get the supplies for Mugi-chan. Watch for her return and make sure she's safe!"

"Hotshot-kun…" I muttered, I heard him grunt as the light continued to flicker, "Give me a chance! We can both be safe! Just help me lift this! Help me!"

"That's not in the plan, Yui-chan!" he said, firing a few shots from his M22, "Even though I do get you holding that door, you're still too weak to keep it open long enough for me to crawl under!"

"But I can help you!" I pleaded, "I don't want to be alone! Please don't leave me alone!"

I heard him sigh, "I'm sorry."

The lights above him went out and he was stuck out there in the dark. I leaned against the door and looked up at the ceiling, "Please… someone…"

"_HRAAAAGH!"_ I heard the screech and covered my ears, not from the frequency of the shrieking, but from the sound of hearing something or _someone _shoved against the steel door and gunfire. I heard a yell as the gunfire came to a cease. I closed my eyes and continued leaning against the door, where I heard faint growling and snarling on the other side. I slumped down and opened my eyes to see the darkness of the pharmacy in-front of me. I whimpered as a tear rolled down my face.

That's when reality hit me. I'm all alone.

* * *

**Amber Skies**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**- **Mugi-chan's injured! Tune into the next chapter to see Yui as she tries to save her friend!

**- **Mugi wasn't supposed to be hurt at all during this chapter, but then I decided 'why not let her be shot?'. It was only supposed to be Yōko that was shot.

**- **It will be back to Ricchan's POV after the next chapter, so you'll find out more about Azusa!

**- **Introducing both Toshimi Shibaya and Yōko Sasaki, both of them are the girls' classmates in their third year at Sakuragaoka. Well… mainly introducing Yōko, since Toshimi died from being too cray-cray.

**- **I know nothing of medical science. What you see here is a guess that I got from doing little research on the internet. Preferably Google and Yahoo Answers, so, sorry if this isn't correct with medical stuff, but I'm pretty sure you got message. If you didn't here: Mugi was shot in the stomach.

**- **The song that Mugi was singing in French is _Les __Champs-Élysées _by Joe Dassin. I heard this song in my 8th grade year when I took French and I can't believe I remembered it two years later. Mugi is at least half-European, so I figured that since most European children know more than one language, Mugi is fluent in French a couple of other European languages. Oh and English, can't forget good ole English.

**- **The song that Yui was singing while she was walking with Hotshot is _Tsubasa wo Kudasai_, which is sung by all of the members of Houkago Tea Time, minus Azusa. It's a really inspirational song and it seemed perfect for providing Yui with safety when she sang it.

**- **Yay. A little bit of diversity in the sounds that the Harvesters make and in gunfire. Hooray for _'HRAAAAGH!'_ and _***BANG***_

**- **Who knew Hotshot was going to be such a tsundere character. His death will impact Yui, just as Comet's impacted Ritsu.

**- **I'll see you all in the next chapter! Don't worry, because I'll introduce someone from the Highschool manga in the next chapter to make up for what happened to Mugi. Deuces!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes**

**- **Hey everyone, another chapter. Like I said before, I'm going to introduce a character from the High school manga. Who could it be? Read and you'll find out. Don't forget to leave a review of what you think and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Amber Skies**

**Chapter 4 – A Little Bit of Hope**

* * *

"_There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for." – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers_

* * *

"_You all need to get out, now!" a voice ordered. I turned towards the voice and saw Lucky-kun talking to another trooper, who was inside the Crane that was supposed to take us to safety._

"_Butcher, come on! Captain Yamanaka gave me orders to get these three to safety!" Lucky-kun argued as he pointed to me, Mugi-chan, and Azunyan. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see a worried looking Azunyan. I patted her head and turned back to Lucky-kun._

"_Captain Yamanaka gave us a direct order to pick her and a few survivors up! She asked for immediate extraction!" the other trooper, known as Butcher, shot back. Lucky-kun sighed and waved him off._

"_Just go…" he muttered to Butcher and the latter nodded._

"_3-2 taking off!" Butcher yelled as the side-doors slid to a close. The Crane's engines ignited and it took off into the sky, leaving Sakuragaoka High School. _

"_What now?" Azunyan asked. Lucky-kun turned to the three of us and the other girls, who were all members of the volleyball club besides Himeko Tachibana, who is a member of the softball club and a friend of mine. _

"_We stay here with everyone else and wait for another Crane to pick us up," Lucky-kun said to us. We all agreed with him while two other troopers, having distinctive red and blue stripes on their armor ran up to us._

"_Captain Rex says we need to get out of here, now!" the one with blue-striped armor said to us as he and the other trooper arrived, "He wants you to protect those girls at all costs, Lucky, so he's sending me and Hotshot to go with you!"_

"_Yeah, Captain says there's a bad storm that's going to hit the school, so he wants everyone into the gym or the school," the one with red-striped armor said. I looked past the two of them and saw other Alliance Space Command troopers escorting other girls either to the gym that Hime-chan and the others just came out of._

"_I know a place," Lucky-kun said, looking up to the sky. I saw him gazing at the Osaka Eastern District Mall that was in the distance, "Gather everyone in the gym."_

"_Got it," the one white blue-striped armor nodded and brought the volleyball club and Hime-chan into the gym. Azunyan, Mugi-chan, and I followed in pursuit as Lucky-kun and the red-striped trooper led us in there. As we went in there were crowds of voices roaming around, causing a commotion in the gym._

"_We'll be safe here until then," Lucky-kun said. I looked at him and around to find faces of fright and worry all amongst the crowd._

"_Harvesters!" a voice yelled in the chaos. I heard gunfire outside and Lucky-kun opened the doors to the gym, letting all of us to see what the commotion was. Outside in the courtyard there was fighting going on between what seemed to be monsters and the ASC troopers. I watched in terror as one of the monsters grabbed an ASC trooper and stabbed her through her stomach. I closed my eyes and my stomach felt uneasy._

"_Let's go!" Lucky-kun yelled. As soon as he said that, all of the people that were inside the gym poured out and into the courtyard, where they either ran to the main building of the school or were mauled down in the courtyard. I felt Azunyan's grip on my hand slide away and looked back at her to get swallowed by the crowd._

"_Yui-senpai!" I heard her call my name and I frantically looked through the crowd while my other hand held onto Mugi-chan's hand, who slowly pulled me away and into the courtyard as she followed Lucky-kun and the other two troopers._

"_Azunyan!" I called back as I felt Mugi-chan continue to drag me away from the gym as it got farther and farther, with Azunyan's cries for help fading away. I looked back at Mugi-chan and realized it was just me, her, and the three ASC troopers accompanying us. We were now on the streets and the gunfire continued on._

"_Yui-chan, we have to go!" Mugi-chan said to me as she tugged on my blazer._

"_I can't leave without Azunyan!" I told her as her grasp on me fell. I walked towards Sakuragaoka and looked around for my pig-tailed kouhai._

"_Yui-chan!" Mugi called me. I ignored her._

"_AZUNYAN! WHERE ARE YOU?!" I yelled as I walked back the school as I heard panics of chaos and distant shouting coming from Sakuragaoka. I felt my head throb as I closed my eyes and rubbed away the pain._

"_Yui-senpai! I'm over here!" I heard Azunyan's voice. I looked up at the building of the school and saw Azunyan, standing on the roof and waving to me. Her clothes were covered with dried blood and she had a smile on her face._

"_Azunyan!" I screamed with joy as I finally found her. I began running towards Sakuragaoka while keeping an eye on her. I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw Azunyan's body become covered in blood, "Azunyan?"_

"_Yui-senpai… it hurts…"_

* * *

**Amber Skies**

* * *

"Azunyan!" I shot up and found myself in the darkness of the pharmacy. I looked around and there was no light at all in the entire building. I felt my schoolbag next to me and clutched onto it. I zipped open my schoolbag and dug through it blindly. I felt my phone and turned it on, creating a small source of light from it.

"There we go…" I muttered as I dug through my applications before clicking on the flashlight app. A light appeared in-front of me and I felt relieved by the sight of the glow. I shined the flashlight around and saw the H45 that Hotshot-kun gave to me lying on the floor next to me.

I leaned forward and picked up the H45 and stuffed it into my unzipped schoolbag. I brought myself up to my feet and shined the light around, with nothing but plastic bags and trash around me. I walked towards the caged window and stared out into the darkness outside in the mall.

"Hotshot-kun…" I whispered to myself as I shined my light out the window and scanned the floor of the outside. I found a pair of feet lying down on the cement and a puddle of blood underneath them. I moved my light up the corpse and saw an M22 a few feet away from the body and saw the torso of Hotshot-kun. I shivered as I saw his guts and blood spewing out of his torn open stomach.

"_Darkness… darkness…" _I heard a voice whisper in my ears. I flinched and jumped at the voice and turned around to see a trail of blood on the floor. I looked away and shined my light into the darkness of the pharmacy. I held my light in one hand while my other searched through my bag. I pulled out the H45 from my schoolbag and aimed it as I took a step and followed the trail of blood.

"I need to find Mugi-chan's medicine… she needs it…" I said as I walked in the darkness, shining my light around while I searched for both Mugi-chan's medication and the source of the whisper in my ear.

"_You're going to let her die…" _the whisper arose in my ears again. I closed my eyes and shook my head for the voice to disappear, which it did. I looked around and found myself to be in the snacks aisle of the pharmacy.

"Mugi-chan won't die!" I told the voice. I heard a small giggle and all of a sudden a dark fog came out from the air vents above and positioned in-front of me. Out of the fog popped a devious smile. I staggered back and aimed my H45 at the face and shined my light at it.

"_What's the matter, Yui-chan?" _the face asked me. I gulped and tightened my grip on the pistol as the fog moved towards me, causing me to slowly back away and keep a distance, _"Afraid of the dark? Or maybe the truth?" _the face laughed.

"Wh-what… what are you?" I asked as I felt sweat roll down my face. I watched as another fog folded around the face and it enlarged, only for a few seconds before a figure stepped out of the fog and the fog vanished. I watched as the person walked up to me, smiled, and giggled a little.

"I'm you!" the girl who stepped out of the darkness said. I looked at her and lowered my H45, "That's a good girl, Yui-chan!" my doppelganger said as the smile on her face turned into a devious smirk. She raised her fist and before I knew it, I felt a sudden pain on my face.

_***POW* **_

I felt a punch stagger me back and knocked the H45 and my phone out of my hands. I dropped my schoolbag and rubbed my face from the punch and watched as the girl charged at me, fists at the ready.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled at her as she swung at me, only for me to dodge it by a millisecond. She swung again and hit me in my jaw, "Ow!"

"I'm helping you accept the truth, Yui-chan!" she growled at me, "The truth that Mugi-chan will die! Because of you! This is all your fault!"

"I'm trying to save Mugi-chan, but you're making it more difficult for me!" I yelled back as I rubbed my jaw, "Mugi-chan didn't deserve to be hurt, but I don't deserve to be blamed for that!"

"Lies, lies, lies!" my angry doppelganger yelled in a demonic voice, "Mugi-chan is hurt! Because of you! Because of us!" she charged at me again and swung a punch. I dodged it and staggered back.

"Mugi-chan chose to get hurt so we could be safe!" I said. The other me closed her eyes for a second before opening, revealing red eyes that shined in the almost dark pharmacy.

"IT IS YOUR FAULT!" the half-sweet, half-demonic voice was gone and the voice of my doppelganger altered into an even darker voice than before. I flinched at the sound of it in my ears, "IT'S YOUR FAULT AZUNYAN IS GONE TOO!"

"No it's not!" I yelled back as I dodged another punch but an elbow to my back knocked me to the floor. I turned over and saw the twisted, evil version of me standing over me, smiling as her fingers morphed into sharpened claws, "You're not real!"

"I can assure you, Yui-chan…" she said as she leaned in closer to my face, "I'm quite real."

"Get… away…!" I yelled as I grabbed the H45 that was lying near me and aimed it at her. The devious smile disappeared and a look of surprised took over her facial expression. I closed my eyes and squeezed the trigger.

_***BANG* *BAM* *BANG***_

I fired three shots at her. The recoil knocked the H45 out of my hand and it fell back to the floor next to me. I looked up and saw that the girl who was just hovering over me had disappeared and there were three fresh bullet holes in the ceiling. I brought myself to my feet and felt my body for the pain that she had caused me, only to find nothing of the sort.

I gasped as I picked up my phone and slung my schoolbag over my shoulder once more. I looked around for my doppelganger before I realized that she had vanished.

"I need to get the medicine! Mugi-chan doesn't have a lot of time!" I said as I scurried around cautiously. I shined the light around and found myself to be near the entrance of the pharmacy, right next to the checkout aisles. I searched the ceiling for the signs that would indicate where I had to go and found the sign that read _'Aisle 11: Medicine. Painkillers, Rubbing Alcohol, and Bandages._

I jogged over to the medicine aisle of the pharmacy, where I wound find the alcohol that Whiplash-kun needed. I panted as I tried to catch my breath, putting my hands on my knees and bending over a little.

"Wow… and I thought PE was hard…" I panted. Something caught my eye and I looked up at the shelf next to me, meeting with an empty bottle of Tylenol Cold medicine. I caught my breath and placed my H45 on the shelf, where there was a vacant spot for it. I shined the flashlight of my phone at the products that were on the shelves.

"What was it called again? Hydrogen Peroxide?" I asked myself as I picked up a small bottle of said product off the shelves in the Rubbing Alcohol section. I read the bottle for the details, "Use on _minor _wounds…"

I thought back to Mugi-chan's gunshot wound in her stomach and with frustration, I shook my head. I placed the bottle back on the shelf and thought about what Whiplash-kun had said earlier.

"_I don't have anything to clean both wounds. If I don't get something like Sterile Saline or Betadine to clean their wounds, the wounds could get infected and both Kotobuki-san and this girl will die," Whiplash-kun said._

"Sterile Saline…" I repeated as I scanned the section for the desired item. I found the last bottle of Sterile Saline sitting on the top of the shelf, next to a few empty bottles of the same product. I sighed with relief and stuffed the bottle into my schoolbag, next to a few notebooks and other items I needed for school, "Check."

"Next would be the bandages," I said as I jogged down the aisle to where I could find said product. I scanned the shelves once more and pulled a large box filled with band-aids. I looked around and stuffed it into my bag, "I need to find the real bandages now."

I checked the shelves once again and found wrapping bandages that would be able to cover up both Mugi-chan and Yōko-chan's bullet holes and keep them safe from infection. I grinned at the sight and placed the wrapping bandages into my schoolbag.

"Mugi-chan, Yōko-chan… don't worry… I'll save you," I said to myself for inspiration as I mentally checked the bandages off of my list. As I was about to turn and walk away from the aisle so I could head back to the department store, I heard faint whimpers and crying in the pharmacy.

I picked the H45 off of the shelf where I left it and shined my flashlight around my surroundings, only to find nothing but supplies which I already had. I pointed the flashlight down at my feet and gazed into the dark.

"Hello?" I asked the darkness as I continued scanning it. I found a faint light towards the corner of the pharmacy and continued hearing the whimpers. I turned off my flashlight and aimed my H45 towards the light as I left the aisle and moved up.

The crying grew louder as I approached the light, which was now blinking. I took cover behind the aisle that was closest to the area with light and peeked over the shelves, only to find a young girl holding onto a brown teddy bear, sobbing onto the stomach of the toy.

I left the aisle and walked up to the girl, lowering my H45 as I approached cautiously. I walked over a body of an old man in a suit and looked at the girl. My presence attracted her and she looked up at me. Her watery eyes widened at me and she opened her mouth.

"Hirasawa-san?" she asked. I titled my head in confusion and she looked away.

"S-Sumire-chan?" I repeated. She looked up at me and nodded as she clenched onto the teddy bear. In an instant, it clicked in my mind who she was, how she knew me, and why she's important.

* * *

**Amber Skies**

* * *

"_Welcome to my home, everyone!" Mugi-chan said as she led me, Ricchan, Azunyan, and Mio-chan into her mansion. I looked around as I saw people in maid and butler outfits about, moving back and forth in their own business._

"_Amazing…" I murmured. I heard Azunyan and Mio-chan gasp in amazement at how huge Mugi-chan's mansion was, even though we were only in the main hall._

"_Unbelievable…" Ricchan muttered next to me and tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to a heavy-set man in a chefs' uniform and hat, "Yui, think that guy makes Mugi's food or eats it?" I snickered at her comment before I heard a thump land on Ricchan's head._

"_Idiot! Don't be so rude!" Mio-chan scolded. I looked at Ricchan as she rubbed the newfound bump on her head while Mio-chan scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. I looked at Mugi-chan as she politely smiled while Azusa watched on with a disappointed look on her face._

"_I still can't believe we get to finally stay at your mansion, Mugi," Ricchan said. I nodded my head and agreed with her. I looked on as a butler stood behind Mugi-chan._

"_Yes, I'm sorry that we couldn't stay at one of the villas this year," Mugi-chan said to us, "Father's been busy building up his law firm in Tokyo, and so he's been renting all of the villas to very important people."_

"_Law firm? I thought your dad is CEO of Kotobuki Enterprises, y'know, the company that owns almost all of the music shops in Kyōto and Tokyo," Ricchan asked. I forgot how rich Mugi-chan is, I mean she can attend a school way more prestigious than Sakuragaoka High School, but she still goes there._

"_Father isn't just the CEO of Kotobuki Enterprises. He also owns Minako & Tsumugi, a corporate law firm, the Max Burger industry, and a small little pizzeria in New York," Mugi-chan said. My mouth, just like everyone else's, formed an 'o' shape at the revealing of how rich Mugi-chan actually was than she let on._

"_Excuse me, Miss Kotobuki," the butler behind her said and bowed. He had a thick moustache with thick eyebrows and gray hair, "May I take their bags?"_

"_Yes, you may, Saitō-san," Mugi-chan slightly bowed back. The butler known as Saitō-san smiled as he reached for Ricchan and Mio-chan's suitcases._

"_Please, leave them here and Sumire-chan will escort you four to your guest rooms," Saitō-san said. He bowed again as he carried Mio-chan's and Ricchan's suitcases up the stairs._

"_Miss Kotobuki," another voice said. I looked towards the direction of the voice and found a blonde-haired girl, who looked exactly like Mugi-chan, except a little bit younger and without the thick eyebrows that Mugi-chan had. She was in a maid outfit and smiled at all of us as she bowed._

"_Ah, Sumire-chan," Mugi-chan looked at her maid before turning back towards the four of us, "This is Sumire Saitō, she's one of my maids and… my step-sister."_

"_Eh?!" the four of us exchanged looks as Sumire and Mugi-chan gently smiled. I looked at the two of them and saw the resemblance, though Sumire didn't look like the European that Mugi-chan was._

"_My parents 'adopted' her after her parents in Austria couldn't afford to care for her and since then, she's been living here with her grandfather, who just took your bags," Mugi-chan explained. We all oohed and introduced ourselves to Sumire-chan. I looked on as Mugi-chan led Mio-chan, Ricchan, and Azunyan to the dining room._

"_Do you need help, Hirasawa-san?" Sumire-chan asked me. I looked at her and shook my head, "Shall I show you to your room while the others are in the dining room? You'll be rooming with Nakano-san, at Miss Kotobuki's request."_

"_I get to sleep with Azunyan?! Awesome! Show me, please, Sumire-chan!" I said to her. She politely nodded and smiled, leading me up the flight of stairs to the second floor. I felt a pain in my head and _

"_Hirasawa-san?" Sumire asked me, "Are you feeling alright?" _

"_I'm… I'm fine…" I said to her as I rubbed my head. The throbbing went away after a few seconds and I looked at Sumire as she held a teddy bear in her arms. _

"_Hirasawa-san?"_

* * *

**Amber Skies**

* * *

"Hi…Hirasawa-san?" I heard Sumire's voice. My voice snapped back to reality and I felt my head for the throbbing pain I've been getting every time I try to remember something.

Sumire Saitō, or known to me as Sumire-chan, is Mugi-chan's adopted little sister. I knew her from the time the rest of us visited Mugi-chan's actual home in Osaka and met Sumire-chan as she helped us get settled into our rooms for our stay. Just like how Ui could be a clone of me, Sumire-chan is a clone of Mugi-chan, minus the bushy eyebrows from Mugi-chan's Swedish background. She was two years younger than us and one year younger than Azunyan, making her a third-year at one of the middle schools, presumably a private one.

"Sumire-chan… it's good to see you…" I said as I kneeled down next to her. I looked at the body next to her and realized that it was Saitō-san, another one of Mugi-chan's butlers and Sumire-chan's grandfather.

"It's… it's good to see you too… Hirasawa-san…" she said as she eyed the body of her dead grandfather, who was laying fast-first on the floor. I gazed at the body as well and found an H45 lying next to her grandfather's hands. There was a puddle of blood under him as I saw noticeable deep cuts on the back of his tuxedo, which revealed his barren and bloodied back.

"I'm sorry about your grandpa, Sumire-chan…" I said to her. She gave a nod as a sign of acceptance as she continued looking at the body. I sighed as I placed a hand on her shoulder. Her attention turned towards me and she sniffled.

"How's my sister, Hirasawa-san? Surely she was with you at the Light Music Club this afternoon…" Sumire-chan said to me. I flashed a faint smile and sat down next to her, unzipping my schoolbag and revealing the contents inside of it – Yōko-chan's and Mugi-chan's tools of survival, "Why do you need this? And… why are you alone?"

"I… I, uh…" I said in a stump. Sumire-chan gasped and let go of the teddy bear and cupped her hands around her mouth as the teddy bear fell onto her lap. She slowly shook her head as she realized the predicament both Mugi-chan and I were in.

"My sister's… my sister's hurt?" Sumire-chan asked. I nodded and Sumire-chan gasped. She instantly rose to her feet and helped me up. Our eyes met and I realized she was just as tall as Azunyan was, but she wasn't my Azunyan, "Where is she?"

"Sumire-chan, are you feeling fine?" I asked her. She nodded and walked over to the body of her grandfather, picking up the H45 and sliding the chamber back. The H45 made a little beep and Sumire-chan held it in her hands, as if she knew what she was doing, "Whoa, you know how to use that?"

"Back in Austria it was chosen for me to join the Alliance Space Command once I graduated high school. My real father taught me how to use almost every weapon at the Alliance Space Command's disposal at a young age," she said to me. I oohed at what she said and she continued, "It continued when I arrived here a few years ago, when I started middle school. Onee-chan's father, Mr. Kotobuki, oversaw my training to become an Alliance Space Command trooper."

"That's kinda awesome…" I muttered. Sumire-chan looked at me with a stone cold look and sighed.

"Hirasawa-san, you don't understand, I never had a childhood, really," she said. She walked over to the teddy bear that she left on the ground and picked it up, holding the toy in one hand and the H45 in the other, "This teddy bear is the only thing I know that's from my early years. My mother gave it to me… before she passed. Now, the real question… how did my sister get hurt?"

"S-somebody shot her," I revealed to Sumire-chan. I watched as her face turned red with anger and a large frown formed on her face, "But the girl who shot her is dead now…"

"She hurt onee-chan…" Sumire-chan muttered. I looked at her and saw her clench her fists, "She paid the price, but I believe there has to be more to her punishment than just death."

I tensed at Sumire-chan's sudden expression of what Toshimi's fate should have met and nervously chuckled, "You don't mean that, do you, Sumire-chan?"

"I do. If anyone hurts my sister… I don't know what I'd do to them, but they'd wish they wouldn't have laid a hand on her," she said. She brushed her bloodied hair back and sighed.

"Well, I have everything that we need to help Mugi-chan," I said. Sumire-chan looked at me and towards the darkness of the rest of the pharmacy.

"Hirasawa-san, just how did you get here?" she asked me.

"I came here with one of the troopers that were with Mugi-chan and I," I told her, "I came in through the front door, which is now sealed with a steel door, heavier than the both of us combined."

"And the trooper? Where is he?" Sumire-chan asked. I frowned at the remembrance of Hotshot-kun.

"He's dead," I said with a blank stare. Sumire-chan nodded and looked around.

"If there's no way out through the entrance…" she trailed away from her sentence as her eyes scanned the ceilings, "Maybe… the air vents…"

"Wait, Sumire-chan," I said to her. She looked back at me before we made our way to the air vents and raised an eyebrow at me, "You suddenly chose to take action once I mentioned Mugi-chan's injury. Why is that?"

"Because… I'd do anything for onee-chan," she said to me. I blinked in wonder and nodded at her comment. We continued walking over to the air vents and I shined my flashlight to see the object. As I kept the light focused on the air vent, Sumire-chan pushed a rolling ladder towards the destination.

"How does it look?" I asked as Sumire-chan climbed the ladder and tapped the ceiling. She looked down at me and gave me a thumbs up.

"It should be easy for us to fit through the vents," she said as she popped the vent open. Dust came out from the vents and Sumire-chan coughed as she waved the dust away, "The light please, Hirasawa-san."

I shined my light through the vents and I saw the space we had to fit in. I watched as Sumire-chan brought herself into the hatch, disappearing beyond the vent. I climbed up the ladder, one step at a time, as I watched the floor grow farther and farther away with every bar I climbed.

"_HRAAAAARGH!" _I heard the familiar screech of the Harvester Stalker ring through my ears as I heard faint pounding coming from the steel door that was the entrance. Sumire-chan popped her head out and looked at me as I stared out into the darkness.

"They know we're here, Hirasawa-san," she said, "Hurry up. We don't want them to break that down."

I nodded and climbed up the ladder. I soon found myself in the tiny space of the ventilation shaft. I followed Sumire-chan as we crawled through the tight space. I looked back and heard something heavy fall down in the distance, back at the pharmacy. I assumed it was the steel door and I rushed to keep up with Sumire-chan.

"The place where my sister is, Hirasawa-san. It's just a straight line down?" Sumire-chan asked me as we continued crawling. I nodded as I took a glance back at the darkness behind me. I sighed as I focused my attention to keeping up with Sumire-chan. I closed my eyes and continued crawling behind her.

In a flash I found myself bumping into what seemed to be Sumire-chan's butt. I took a few crawls back and Sumire-chan looked at me, a small blush on her face. I grinned and nervously chuckled.

"Ahehe… sorry, Sumire-chan," I said to her, "I wasn't paying attention."

"Right…" Sumire-chan said, "We're here, Hirasawa-san. There's going to be a drop to the floor below. Are you ready for it?"

"Yeah…" I muttered as I slowly nodded. I watched Sumire-chan as she faced back ahead and began pounding on the hatch of an air vent, where I saw light emerging from. The hatch swung open and Sumire-chan shifted her body so she would fall feet-first into the room below. She gave me a thumbs up and she soon vanished down the hatch. I crawled forward and watched as Sumire-chan landed on her feet in a crouching position. She stood up and looked back at me.

"Lower the schoolbag first!" she said as she took out her H45 and held her free hand up. I recognized the familiar scenery that was the department store and nodded. I lowered my schoolbag a little before dropping it. Sumire-chan caught it with her free hand and I shifted myself into a position where I would fall feet-first, just like she did.

"I can do this…" I whispered to myself. I closed my eyes and sighed, and soon I felt myself flying in the air as I fell. I landed on my feet and hands and brought myself to a standing position. I grabbed the pistol that was tucked into my pockets and brought it out. Sumire-chan patted my back and handed me the schoolbag. I heard footsteps approach us and I gulped.

"Drop the guns!" a voice erupted behind us. I turned around and saw the familiar tattoo of Lucky-kun as he aimed an H45 Pistol at us. Sumire-chan slid her chamber back and aimed it back at Lucky-kun, whose eyes widened at the sudden action of the blonde. I immediately dropped the H45 that was in my hands and hear it clatter as it hit the floor, "H45 on the ground now!" Lucky-kun yelled at Sumire-chan. I closed my eyes and I heard the clatter of her own H45 hitting the ground.

"Lucky-kun!" I said as Sumire-chan and I both raised our hands in the air. Lucky-kun kept his gaze on us as he maintained the H45 in his hands.

"Hirasawa-san…" Lucky-kun said my name as he lowered his H45. He holstered the pistol and bowed, "Please forgive me… things have been hectic ever since you and Hotshot left. Stalkers have been outside, screeching and yelling, for a while now. Where's Hotshot?"

I looked away at the mention of Hotshot-kun. Lucky-kun sighed and he must have felt the empty void that was once filled with presence of Hotshot-kun, a stubborn, yet good soul that was gone.

"He's really gone, huh?" I nodded and he looked over to Sumire-chan, "Who is she?"

"She's… uh… Sumire Saitō…" I said to him, "She's Mugi-chan's little sister. I found her at the pharmacy when I was looking for Mugi-chan's and Yōko-chan's medicine. She was by herself."

"Kotobuki-san's sister?" Lucky-kun repeated. Sumire-chan nodded and Lucky-kun looked at the bag, "You have the medicine, Hirasawa-san?"

"I do," I said as I handed Lucky-kun my schoolbag. He looked down at the schoolbag and tightened his grip on it. He sighed with relief and I exhaled.

"Please wait here," he said as he turned around, "We'll do our best to save Kotobuki-san."

With that, Lucky-kun left Sumire-chan and I alone. I looked at her and walked over to the wall. I slumped down and took a seat, exhaling. Hours passed and Sumire-chan sat down next to me on the rug of the department store. We both supported each other by leaning onto one another. I looked as someone turned the corner. The blue-striped armor revealed it to be nobody other than Whiplash-kun.

"I did all I could, Yui-chan…" Whiplash-kun said as he approached me and Sumire-chan. I looked at his armor and saw blood all over it, presumably from Mugi-chan. I felt tears begin to form in my eyes as I thought of going on without Mugi-chan with me. I sniffled as the warm tears rolled down my face and fell upon my dirtied and bloodied shoes.

"Mugi… Mugi-chan?" I heard my voice break. I swallowed and felt an itch in my throat. My cries were silent as I coughed to get rid of the tick in my throat.

"O-onee-chan…" I heard Sumire-chan mutter in a breaking voice. I looked at her as she cupped her hands around her mouth as tears strolled down her face as well. I sniffled and turned back to Lucky-kun.

"I am so sorry, Yui-chan…" Lucky-kun said as he followed in from the room and stood beside Whiplash-kun. The two of them had their helmets on and were avoiding the looks Sumire-chan and I were giving them.

"Why won't you look at us…" I murmured. I let my feelings go and fell to the ground on my knees and clenched my fists, "It's my fault…" I closed my eyes and heard Sumire-chan gasp.

"Hehe!" I heard a familiar soft giggle. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Mugi-chan standing in between Lucky-kun and Whiplash-kun. Yōko-chan walked in from the room in the back and stood next to the two of them, looking at me and Sumire-chan with a questionable face. She was still wearing nothing but her light-green bra and I saw a white patch over her shoulder wound.

"I've always wanted to know how people would react when they found out you're dead!" Mugi-chan said as she limped over to us, "Nobody really gets the chance, so I took it right now! Well, I'm not really dead… but, y'know… I also heard you were here, Sumire-chan."

"Onee-chan!" Sumire-chan exclaimed as she wiped the tears away, "This is NOT one of the things you would want to know about! Our hearts broke! Mine… mine was about to be lost… along with you…"

"I'm glad you're alright, Sumire-chan," Mugi-chan smiled as she embraced Sumire-chan. The younger blonde closed her eyes and nuzzled her head up to Mugi-chan's chin as she hugged back. Mugi-chan pulled herself away and looked at Sumire-chan, "Where's Saitō-san? I thought he left with you this morning?"

"O-onee-chan… m-my grandfather's… d-dead…" Sumire-chan said to her. A frown formed on Mugi-chan's face as her eyes began to water. She slowly nodded as she wiped the tears away with her bloodied sleeve. She wiped Sumire-chan's face and the latter weakly smiled.

"It's going to be fine, Sumire-chan…" Mugi-chan said, "As long as I'm here… I'll protect you… you're my sister… and I love you…"

"I love you too, onee-chan…" Sumire-chan said. I looked as Mugi-chan approached me and I felt my heart drop as I looked at the wound on her stomach, which was covered by the bandage. The bandage had turned from a pure white to a soaked red and pink color. She limped over to me and brushed her hair away from her face.

"Mugi-chan… I wouldn't know what I would do without you… what I would tell Mio-chan and Ricchan… what Azunyan would do to me if she knew it was my fault you would have died…" I said to her.

"But it wasn't your fault, Yui-chan," Mugi-chan said to me. I looked up at her and sniffled.

"Yes, it was!" I said in between the tears, "I-It's all because of me that you were hurt! It's my fault! It's… it's my f-fault Azunyan is gone t-too! Mugi-chan, what do I do?! I lost her!"

With that I felt Mugi-chan embrace me. The tears continued to flow down my face as Mugi-chan continued to hug me. Her warmth calmed me down and began to relax in her arms.

"D-don't say that, Yui-chan!" Mugi-chan said to me, "None of this is your fault, Yui-chan! Please stop saying that!" her hug tightened. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back.

"I-I… I'll stop…" I whispered in her ear, "P-please forgive me for saying that… Mugi-chan…" she finally let go of me and I sniffled. Mugi-chan smiled at me and walked away, leaving Sumire-chan and me to ourselves. She walked up to Lucky-kun and Whiplash-kun, saying a few words to them. The two troopers nodded at her and began walking towards Sumire-chan and I. Mugi-chan looked over at Yōko-chan as she began putting her blazer on.

"Excuse me, girls," Lucky-kun said as he approached us, followed by Whiplash-kun. Sumire-chan and I shot them glares and ignored them, "Girls?"

"No! You lied to us about my sister!" Sumire-chan said as she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

"Er… Kotobuki-san has requested that we set out for Sakuragaoka High School. She insists that is where we will find your friends and regroup with other survivors," Lucky-kun said. I walked up to Mugi-chan as she was in a conversation with Yōko-chan. They turned their attention towards me and I soon felt Sumire-chan and Lucky-kun's presence near me.

"Are you sure you can keep up, Mugi-chan?" I asked her. She looked up at Whiplash-kun and faintly smiled.

"I've injected the last dose of bio-foam I had into Kotobuki-san and Sasaki-san," Whiplash-kun nodded. I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw the presence of Yōko-chan to my right. I turned and saw her exercise the shoulder where she had been shot.

"It's feeling a bit numb, but it's way better than before," Yōko-chan said. I nodded and shot her a grin and she returned the smile. She now had her white undershirt and blazer on, but both were unbuttoned, so you could still see her light-green bra.

"The pain in my wound has gone down as well, Yui-chan," Mugi-chan's voice said to me. I looked at Mugi-chan as she limped towards Yōko-chan and I. Sumire-chan followed in pursuit with a worried look on her face, "I will be a little slow since the pain is still there, but I can manage."

"We're all ready," Lucky-kun said as he joined us near the entrance of the department store, "I've rerouted the mall's wires so the lights will turn on where we go. We'll be safe and out of the Stalker's reach."

"I'm positive we'll find a signal once we get outside," Whiplash-kun said, "It won't be a promise, but I have a hunch that we're going to find the Captain and everyone else back at the school."

"Are you girls ready?" Lucky-kun asked us. I exchanged looks with Yōko-chan, Mugi-chan, and Sumire-chan. All of us had defiant looks planted onto our faces as I thought of Azunyan and the others. I looked at Lucky-kun and nodded.

"Let's go find Azunyan."

* * *

**Amber Skies**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**- **Bam! Chapter 4 is done! So, as I said in chapter 2 of Forever In Our Stars, I have a **big **announcement to make! Be sure to read about it down below! Hehe!

**- **But that hug doe… a little bit of Mugi x Yui for you!

**- **Sumire-chan has entered the story! If y'all don't know her, she was present in the Highschool manga, where she became the drummer of the Wakaba Girls, Azusa's band after Yui and the others graduated. Anyone up for an appearance of Nao? Or maybe the girls from OnNaGumi too? The future will tell!

**- **Sumire's love for Mugi is the same as Ui's love for Yui. Just like how Ui will do anything for Yui, Sumire will do anything for her big sister, who always watches out for her.

**- **Ah, death. Something Mugi-chan always wanted to experience, well, the reaction to her own 'death' really. This was referenced off of Mugi always wanting to experience what 'normal' people, in her case, the middle and lower-middle class people, would experience. I'm going to guess she thought death was something others experience… well, we all will experience death one day, but Mugi chose today to experience it.

**- **Also, doesn't Hello, Little Girl sound like a Halo-type of song because of the beat? If you guys don't know that song, it's one of Mio's character songs and it's pretty bad-ass, for real. It falls in line right next to Seishun Vibration. If I were to choose an opening for this, it would be that song.

**- **Starting with chapter 5, Ritsu will start telling the story again! Don't worry, if you loved having the story told by Yui's point of view, you'll have it again in the future! Maybe!

**- **As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and have a great day! Don't forget to leave a review of what you think and what you want to see in the world of Amber Skies. See you all when Ritsu's back in chapter 5! Later!

**- **But before I go, here's the announcement! Working on K-On! related stories is quite fun, no lie, but I want to bring something new to the fandom. Something that nobody's ever written about. Ever. (or so I think). Arriving in the crossover section of K-On!, I present to you guys Attack on Tea Time! A crossover between or beloved K-On! and the hyped series of 2013, Attack on Titan! I hope you guys are excited for it just as much as I am. I'll see you guys when it comes out, possibly in a day or two! Maybe right after I post this! See you!


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